The family of murdered businessman Federico Delgado is confident that there is “strong and compelling” evidence to indict Luisito Gonzales, the alleged killer.
“The evidence of the police is compelling, solid, and convincing,” said Jose Mari Delgado, younger brother of the victim, shortly after emerging from a preliminary investigation of the case at the Department of Justice.
Jose Mari was referring to the eyewitness account of Annaliza Pesico, his brother’s girlfriend, who identified Gonzales as the alleged killer.
Jose Mari also expressed hope that the case will not drag on at the DOJ.
“We hope that this entire process will be speedy and we want justice for Rico because we do not want the wrong person to go to jail,” he said.
The case is deemed submitted for resolution by the DOJ after Gonzales and his driver, Antonio Buenaflor, filed their counter-affidavits the other day at the office of Prosecutor Cielito Lindo Luyun, who is handling the case.
Jose Mari said the evidence secured by the Manila Police District is strong as compared to the defense of Gonzales and Buenaflor.
“I am sure their defense is only alibi. Under Philippine laws, alibi is a weak defense and in order to become strong, it must be supported with independent evidence,” Jose Mari said.
He added that that the strongest evidence against Gonzales is the eyewitness account of Pesico, who was also assaulted by the suspects.
The DOJ yesterday gave the Delgado family five days to file a reply to the counter-affidavits filed by Gonzales and Buenaflor. The DOJ will then render the case as deemed submitted for resolution.
Gonzales, the grandson of the late president Elpidio Quirino, is the primary suspect in the murder of Delgado, his stepbrother who was murdered inside his home in Malate, Manila last March.
Gonzales and Buenaflor were later charged with murder and frustrated murder by the MPD after they were identified by Pesico.
“We are asking for nothing less than justice. We will not settle for the wrong person going to jail for what happened to our brother,” Jose Mari said.
Last July 6, the Delgado family urged the DOJ to speed-up its preliminary investigation of the murder case.
In a statement, the Delgado family said there is a “clear, concerted effort” by certain people to convince police investigators to change their initial findings against Gonzales.
“It’s unfortunate the Gonzalezes has chosen to wage a campaign through thinly veiled proxies to debunk the police’s official investigation by casting aspersions on how the probe is being carried out by the police investigators,” the Delgado family said in a statement.
The Delgados also noted the “unrealistic nature” of the alibi offered by the suspect’s family – that Gonzales could not have murdered Delgado since the former was at the basement of the Makati Medical Center at that time. The hospital is just 10 minutes away from the crime scene.
The Delgado family also belied the claim that Gonzales could not have left the hospital’s “basement” due to its high security measures.
They said Gonzales had in fact managed to leave the hospital shortly after he was tagged as a primary suspect.
Delgado is a son of shipping magnate Francisco “Don Paco” Delgado. Police have filed murder and frustrated murder charges against Gonzales and Buenaflor before the Manila City prosecutor’s Office. – Mike Frialde