Suspects in ambush face more charges

CEBU, Philippines - The two suspects in the ambush last year of a businesswoman from Mandaue City will be charged with grave threats and attempted murder.

Marites 'Barbie' Velasco and his colleague Rodelito 'RJ' Buenavista were served with warrants of arrest Thursday afternoon by Insp. Ramil Morpos, deputy chief of Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB).

Velasco was charged with grave threats issued by the presiding judge of Municipal Trial Court in Cities, 7th Judicial Region last November 11, 2010 while Buenavista is facing attempted murder with bail set at P120,000 issued by assisting judge, Gabriel Ingles in Regional Trial Court, branch 53.

The case stemmed after complainant Rosita Labor, 45, married, of sitio Baican, barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, accused Velasco as the woman who threatened to kill her after she failed to pay her debt to the lending firm which Velasco works for.

Labor allegedly said that Velasco had told Labor "nga kon dili ka mobayad sa utang ipapatay tika."

Labor said she immediately reported the incident to the police and Velasco never came back to collect payment of her debt.

However, last June 28, while Labor was resting inside her house, she heard the voice of a man calling her name and asking her to open the door of her house.

She then peered out of the door to see who was looking for her but since she could not recognize the man, she closed the door.

However, moments later, she heard a burst of gunfire and then saw blood on her chest.

Few months after the incident, Labor while watching television positively identified Buenavista as the man who shot her.

The suspects were accused in the ambush of Debbie Yu last August 4, 2010.

They were apprehended days after the ambush of Yu that killed her driver.

Investigation showed it was a case of mistaken identity. (FREEMAN)