Murder raps filed vs 2 men for death of Federico Delgado

The Department of Justice yesterday forwarded the murder charges against a half brother of a businessman for allegedly stabbing him to death inside his condominium unit almost eight months ago in the city of Manila.

The case was filed before the criminal docket section of the Manila City Regional Trial Court-Clerk of Court.

Senior State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog, of the Manila City Prosecutor’s Office, recommended no bail against Luisito Gonzales, of no. 5 Wilson Compound, 2811 Park Avenue, Pasay City; and driver Antonio Buenaflor, of Block 1 Lot 7 Saturday Street, Addas Village 1, San Nicolas, Bacoor, Cavite. Both are currently at large.

Gonzales and Buenaflor, who used to work as a company driver of the Delgado family, reportedly stabbed businessman Federico Delgado and injured Annalisa Pesico. Delgado owns a unit at the fourth floor of the 2515 Mayflower Building, Leon Guinto Street, Malate Manila.

The eight-page resolution was issued by DOJ Acting Secretary Agnes Devanadera on Oct. 15.

Considering all the arguments raised by the complainants and the respondents the DOJ has decided to leave it to the court to discuss in full detail the merits of the case.

“It bears stressing that a preliminary investigation is not an occasion for a full and exhaustive display of the parties’ evidence. This is for the courts where each party can fully and extremely ventilate his claims or defenses. Preliminary investigation merely involves the reception of evidence showing that more likely than not, respondents could have committed the offenses charged and, thus, they should be held for trial,” said Devenadera.

Records showed that at 10:30 p.m. of May 10, Delgado and Pesico arrived at the Mayflower Building and proceeded to his unit in the fourth floor. He took out a hidden key in a flowerpot, turned on the lights and was about to enter the room when two unidentified assailants grabbed them.

The suspects stabbed Delgado five times and mauled Pesico using a blunt object. They then tied her hands and legs with a straw and necktie and then placed her on the floor. They allegedly asked her if she knew Franco, but when she gave a negative answer they told her that Franco is the brother of one of them. They then started rummaging inside the room before leaving the unit.

At around 3:20 a.m. the following day, Pesico managed to untie her hands and feet and escaped. She went downstairs, flagged down a taxicab and reported the incident to the police station.

The National Police Crime Laboratory said that Delgado succumbed to multiple stab wounds in the body.

In her statement, she told the Manila Police District (MPD) that she was able to identify the attackers from the pictures shown to her. She pointed to Gonzales as the one who allegedly stabbed Delgado and mauled her.

“She claims that while the faces of the two men were covered with clothes and towels, she could identify respondents Gonzales since he removed his face cover. She added that she could identify the two men if she sees them again,” the DOJ said in the resolution.

Police Chief Inspector Alejandro Yanquiling Jr., MPD Homicide Division chief, said that based on the Question Document Examination (QDE) it appeared that the word “Franco”, written on the wall in blood, might have been written by Gonzales.

But Gonzales and Buenaflor both denied the allegations saying that the complaint was insufficient. Gonzales said he was confined in a hospital at the time of the incident and that the facility has a tight security that does not allow its patients to leave the premises.

Gonzales said that his girlfriend Maria Parsons brought him to the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City on March 7 where he was injected with a sedative. He was later transferred to the Neuro-Psychiatry Unit of the Makati Medical Center where he was confined and treated for depression and substance abuse. It was only on March 18 when he was discharged from the facility.