Nida’s driver yields

The driver of slain movie actress Nida Blanca gave himself up yesterday to the Task Force Marsha which is investigating the case to assert his innocence.

Antonio Borja was being eyed as a possible suspect after one of the fingerprints lifted from the victim’s car was found to be his.

In his initial statement given to the San Juan police, Borja said he was at home watching television with his children when Blanca’s body was found in the back seat of her Nissan Sentra car parked on the sixth floor parking lot of Atlanta Centre in Greenhills, San Juan early in the morning of Nov. 7.

Borja told investigators that the last time he drove for Blanca — Dorothy Jones in real life — and her Australian-born husband, Rod Lauren Strunk, was on Oct. 13. He said they used the couple’s Nissan Vanette at the time.

Task Force Marsha chief Director Nestorio Gualberto noted some inconsistencies in Borja’s story.

"Why was his fingerprint lifted from the actress’ Nissan Sentra when he claimed to have driven another vehicle," Gualberto said.

"There are many inconsistencies in his remarks when interviewed by reporters, casting doubt on his credibility," Gualberto said.

Asserting his innocence, Borja said he was willing to submit himself for further questioning.

Gualberto said Borja will be subjected to a polygraph or lie detector test to determine if he was telling the truth.

Investigators indicated they already have primary suspects in the slaying, but admitted they still lacked eyewitnesses to make an arrest.

Meanwhile, the probers were looking into previous criminal records of the suspects.

"We don’t have an eyewitness in his case as of now, but only several information that pointed to a group as the perpetrators," a Task Force Marsha source said.

Judging from the nature of the wounds sustained by the victim, investigators theorized that a small pocket knife could have been used by the killer.

Blanca had five stab wounds in the left cheek, five in the left armpit, two at the back and one below the left ear. A stab that hit the jugular and another that pierced her larynx proved fatal, the medico-legal expert said.

Police investigators have matched latent fingerprints lifted from Blanca’s car with those of witnesses who volunteered to have their finger and palm prints taken.

Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, spokesman for Task Force Marsha, said the investigators were able to lift 24 latent prints from the car.

Espina said 15 of the 24 prints did not match any of those taken from the witnesses.

Among those that matched was that of Borja, but police initially indicated it could be insignificant since Borja has natural access to the actress’ car.

Espina declined to reveal the names of the persons whose fingerprints were among those taken from the vehicle, a green Nissan Sentra Super Saloon.

"The lifted fingerprints would strongly corroborate the evidence against the suspects," Espina said. He did not elaborate.

Instead, the appealed to the public to give investigators more time to wrap up the case. — Jaime Laude, Christina Mendez