Man gets 14 years for homicide

A Malabon court has sentenced a 19-year-old man to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment for killing a tricycle driver nearly three years ago.

Judge Benjamin Antonio of RTC Branch 170 found accused Aldons Torres of Liwayway Street, Barangay Bayan-Bayanan guilty of stabbing dead Abner Panilas of 4-E Gervacio St., Barangay Hulong Duhat on Oct. 13, 1998. Antonio also ordered Torres to pay the victim’s family P50,000 in damages.

Torres was initially charged with homicide with robbery after he reportedly took a measly P3 from Panilas right after stabbing him repeatedly in different parts of the body.

Antonio, however, convicted Torres of homicide after the prosecution’s witness, Edito Pancho, failed to testify on the alleged robbery. In his sworn statement, Pancho said Torres was asking for P3 from the victim prior to the killing.

Court records showed that the killing took place at around 7 p.m. at the tricycle terminal along Gen. Luna Street, Malabon.

Pancho testified he was only seven meters away when he saw the accused, armed with a foot-long knife and approached Panilas who was seated inside his tricycle. Without warning, Pancho said he saw Torres repeatedly stabbed the victim. The witness added that he saw Torres took something from Panilas’ pouch bag. – Nikko Dizon