Guard testifies in Nida slay case

A security guard was presented yesterday before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court as the first prosecution witness in the Nida Blanca slay case.

Manuel Macasa, who works as a security guard at the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) offices, narrated to Judge Alex Quiros how he discovered the actress’ body at the parking area on the 6th floor of the Atlanta Towers condominium last Nov. 7, 2001. Blanca was then a director of the MTRCB.

Macasa said he received a call earlier at 8 a.m. from Blanca’s secretary, who had become worried when her boss failed to come home the night before.

The security guard said he then checked the parking lot and discovered Blanca’s body at the back seat of her green Nissan Sentra.

Macasa was not included in the original list of witnesses but the defense allowed him to testify after learning that he was the first to discover Blanca’s body.

Scheduled to testify yesterday were Superintendent Mari Cristina Freyra, of the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO); Chief Superintendent Jesus Versoza, formerly of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and currently chief of the Intelligence Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP); Inspector Elwin Fernandez and SPO1 Honario Catalla, both of the CIDG and Kaye Torres, Blanca’s daughter.

However, they were unable to do so due to lack of time.

Quiros scheduled the next hearings of the case on July 15 and 22 and Aug. 12 and 19.

The security logbook for the 32nd and 33rd floors of the condominium will be presented by the prosecution during the next hearing. The MTRCB directors hold office on the 33rd floor while the employees are on the 32nd floor.

The prosecution panel is set to present 43 witnesses. Defense has claimed to have 15 witnesses.

Philip Medel Jr., one of the principal accused in Blanca’s murder, was also presented yesterday. Medel had confessed to killing Blanca but later retracted, saying he was tortured by police to admit to the crime.

Blanca’s American husband, Roger Lawrence Strunk, tagged as the mastermind in the slaying, is being held at a California jail. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is working for his extradition.

Months after Blanca’s murder, Strunk was allowed to leave the country but he failed to live up to his promise to return. He denied having anything to do with the murder of his wife.