NBI gets hold of 2 new witnesses vs Strunk

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has two new witnesses who could help boost the government’s effort to extradite Rod Lawrence Strunk to the Philippines and face charges for the murder of actress Nida Blanca.

NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco said the bureau decided to withhold the witnesses identity for security reasons.

According to lawyer Rosauro Bautista, executive officer of the NBI-National Capital Region and lead investigator of the Blanca murder case, the first witness saw Strunk leave Blanca’s wake and board an old model car.

He pointed out that the witness, a woman, became suspicious as to why Strunk would leave the wake on board a different car when he has his own vehicle.

"Based on the information we gathered, the car which Strunk rode from Blanca’s wake appeared to be the same vehicle used during surveillance at the Atlanta Center by the actress’ assailants," Bautista added.

He said the second witness was one of the men who conducted surveillance on Blanca. He refused to disclose whether the witness took part in the killing of Blanca, who was found dead inside her car last Nov. 7, 2001.

With the new witnesses, Wycoco said, the bureau and the Department of Justice hope to get Strunk when the Philippine government re-files the extradition case against the former husband of Blanca.

"The case of Blanca is very much alive. We are doing our best to extradite Strunk for prosecution," said Wycoco.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the earlier decision of Pasig Judge Alex Quiroz to dismiss the petition of Strunk’s lawyers to junk the case for improper motives by NBI agents.

CA Associate Justice Renato Dacudao ruled in favor of the DOJ and NBI and noted that there was circumstancial evidence pinpointing to probable cause against Strunk.

Dacudao noted that evidence showed that accused Strunk and self-confessed killer Philip Medel Jr. knew each other and spoke to each other using terms peculiar to the crime.

In the matter of inordinate interest of the NBI and DOJ, the CA found that such interest only showed that two agencies displayed a high degree of professionalism.

The CA found that the DOJ and NBI were not impelled by any sinister or improper motives in causing or recommending the indictment of Strunk.

The CA appreciated the evidence the NBI gathered against Strunk.

"As NBI director, I am surprised that a US judge junked the extradition," Wycoco said.

With the same set of evidence, Wycoco explained that a Pasig judge found probable cause to issue a warrant against Strunk. The same set of evidence was used in seeking the arrest of Strunk in California, where he was detained for six months.

Strunk was eventually released from jail after a California judge ruled that the evidence to warrant Strunk’s extradition was weak.

Wycoco hopes to immediately re-file the extradition case against Strunk.