Still no justice for Nida’s family

A year after actress Nida Blanca’s murder, justice still remains elusive for her family. Charges have yet to be filed in court against the main suspect, Blanca’s husband Rod Lauren Strunk.

Just as Blanca’s only daughter Kaye Torres and her 88-year old grandmother Inocencia Aqueza are set to commemorate the actress’ untimely death on Nov. 7, the suspects are still at large. The only exception is Philip Medel Jr., who is in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Strunk, however, "practically lost his chance" to rebut the complaint filed by the NBI and the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) after he failed to file his counter-affidavit, according to senior state prosecutor Archimedes Manabat.

Lawyers from the Siguion Reyna, Montecillo and Ongsiako Law Offices, who represent Strunk, asked Manabat to adopt the sworn statement their client, who is now in the US, submitted earlier in lieu of a rebuttal. The sworn statement was submitted Dec. 12, 2001.

Manabat, however, refused to grant their request. "That is not a counter-affidavit. That is not the counter-affidavit (Strunk’s) lawyers promised."

Manabat is joined by state prosecutors Aida Macapagal and Mark Jalandoni in the investigation. He is giving the NBI and PNP-CIDG 10 days to reply to the defense lawyers’ request for Strunk not to file his rebuttal, which the lawyers said should be subscribed by a consul.

Defense lawyers Mario Andres, Dennis Manalo and Noel Lazaro said they could not beat the deadline set by the Manabat panel because Strunk was having a hard time having the document authenticated. – Delon Porcalla