Ruffa balik Katoliko

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Murder charges were formally filed yesterday against the self-confessed killer of an American Peace Corps volunteer whose remains were found in a gully in the village of Batad in Banaue, Ifugao, last month.

Assistant provincial prosecutor Marvin Ngayawan said Ifugao provincial prosecutor Joseph Tumapang formally filed the murder charges against 25-year-old Juan Duntugan, the self-confessed killer of 40-year-old US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell, just before noon at the sala of Judge Esther Piscoso-Flor of the Regional Trial Court-Branch No. 34 in Banaue, Ifugao.

The filing of the murder case before the court came 10 days after the Ifugao police filed information for murder – or homicide with robbery – before the Ifugao prosecutors’ office against Duntugan, who surrendered to the police on April 27.

Earlier, some police experts and many residents here opined that Duntugan was only guilty of robbery with homicide, because the killing was not premeditated.

However, a source from the Ifugao prosecutors’ office indicated another possible reason for the filing of murder raps.

Before the case was filed, DOJ officials in Ifugao admitted to receiving pressure from the US Peace Corps and the United States Embassy in Manila for them to file murder charges against Duntugan.

US Embassy officials in Manila refused to confirm or deny these allegations but said they respected the judicial process, and expressed satisfaction over the investigation that had been conducted by the local authorities.