Leviste to present himself to Makati court next week

Former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste will have to present himself before Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court next Wednesday to answer the homicide charges filed against him for the killing of his executive assistant last Jan. 12.

The court set Leviste’s arraignment on Jan. 24 at 9:00 a.m., 12 days after Rafael delas Alas was found dead in Leviste’s 9th Floor office at the LPL Tower along Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village, Makati.

Leviste’s lawyers posted a P40,000-bail on behalf of their client last Thursday after 2nd Assistant City Prosecutor Henry Salazar filed the case in court.

On Jan. 24, Leviste will be asked to present himself before the court to enter his plea.

The 67-year-old Leviste, who remains confined at the Makati Medical Center, claims he killed the 69-year-old Delas Alas in self-defense.

However, the Delas Alas children believe that their father was murdered based on the number of gunshot wounds he sustained and a supposed "defense wound" on his left forearm, which was discovered after a second autopsy conducted by forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun.

Meanwhile, Henry Capela, one of Leviste’s lawyers, criticized Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez for making statements about his client’s case.

"That’s not good," he said.

"It’s clearly abuse of authority and prejudging. It is clear that he’s not a reliable authority in the first place. He was not the one who conducted the investigation. How can he say that?

"Some are trying to put a political angle into it. Let us not sensationalize this. Two families, both families are depressed. It was an unfortunate incident."

In a statement, Gonzalez said the charge against Leviste should have been murder, not homicide.

Leviste was arrested hours after he allegedly shot and killed Delas Alas with a caliber .380 Alexandra Virginia.

Leviste checked himself in at the MMC and instructed an employee to get in touch with Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, who immediately went to the hospital.

Leviste surrendered to Binay and Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, Makati police chief, who ordered police to guard Leviste’s room and the immediate vicinity of the MMC.

Dante Jimenez, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chairman, said Binay should keep his hands off the case. — Michael Punongbayan