'Cops mishandled evidence in Revilla case'

MANILA, Philippines - The lawyers handling the Ram Revilla murder case yesterday scored the mishandling of evidence by the crime scene investigators.

In an interview after yesterday’s ocular inspection, the defense and prosecution noted that the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team left behind pieces of evidence in Revilla’s room. These include a white pillow, blue-green bedsheet, black chair, and a pink shoe – all of which have bloodstains.

Defense lawyer Jose Caringal added that one of the three slugs used to shoot Revilla and his girlfriend, actress Janelle Manahan, in October 2011 was in his possession.

“The SOCO did not retrieve it, so I kept it,” Caringal said.

According to Caringal, the SOCO personnel examined Revilla’s room for about two to three hours and then left.

“No evidence has been tampered but the evidence were not properly handled by the SOCO. The crime scene investigation was not professionally done. They left so many things behind them. They did not collect evidence we feel are important both for the defense and the prosecution,” Caringal said.

Manahan’s lawyer, Ar­gee Guevarra, said the police “should have secured this crime scene from Oct. 28, 2011 up to this date…to protect the integrity of the crime scene and the evidence.”

Chief Inspector Ferjen Torred, head of the Parañaque police’s intelligence unit, said he could not speak for the SOCO but said “they may have seen that only swabbing of the evidence was needed, that’s why they left the items.”

Seven people – including Revilla’s younger siblings Ramona and Ramon Joseph – were charged for murder and frustrated murder. The family has since denied involvement in the crime. 

Manahan yesterday reenacted what happened before Judge Fortunito Madrona and the lawyers.

“The ocular inspection was okay, satisfactory,” Madrona said. “We wanted to take a fiscal observation based on testimonies to establish the probability and the improbability of the crime.”

The court also inspected the room of Revilla’s driver and personal aide, Ronald Ancajas, a police witness who earlier said that he was inside his room when he saw Ramon Joseph and Ramona going toward the subdivision’s gate. It was not clear, however, if Ancajas was referring to the main gate or the garage gate on the house’s right side.

There was some tension after Manahan’s lawyers insisted that Ancajas was referring to the garage gate, while Revilla’s younger siblings stressed it was the main gate.

The garage gate is visible from Ancajas’ room while the main gate is not. The issue was not resolved, however, because Ancajas was not present during the inspection.