7 witnesses to Nueva Ecija slays to undergo lie-detector tests

CABANATUAN CITY — Seven witnesses to the May 7 slayings of a lawyer-politician and his son in Llanera town will be subjected to polygraph (lie-detector) tests, police said.

Senior Superintendent Alex Paul Monteagudo, provincial police director, said the lie-detector tests will help guide the police in their investigation into the gunslayings of Ambrocio Matias Jr. and his son, Leonard, saying some of the witnesses have given conflicting accounts of the incident.

Matias, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor of his hometown of Llanera in 2001 and 2004, and his son were gunned down in front of their house in Barangay Gen. Luna.

The motive behind the attack remains unknown, although the police suspect that Matias could have been set up.

Matias had served as legal counsel of some prominent politicians in Nueva Ecija, including former vice governor Oscar Tinio, former fourth district congresswoman Julita Lorenzo-Villareal and incumbent Jaen Mayor Antonio Prospero Esquivel.

Monteagudo said three of the witnesses — Feliciano Valentin Sr., his wife, Crispina, 53, and their son, Feliciano Jr., 26, will be among those who will be subjected to the lie-detector tests.

The Valentins reportedly sought Matias’ help on a land dispute in Barangay Casili, Llanera town.

Monteagudo said that when the Valentins arrived at the Matias residence, the two gunmen suddenly appeared and fired at the lawyer and his son.

Police are also investigating text messages which the witnesses and the Matias family had received.

Police have borrowed the younger Valentin’s Nokia 2300 cellphone due to reports that he was seen texting someone moments before the killings.

Matias’ wife, Felicidad, chairwoman of Barangay Gen. Luna, revealed to the probers that one of her barangay tanods has received a text message saying that the slay brains could be a judge.

The text message read: "Ang kriminal ay ama ng anak ng judge. Ano ang relasyon ng kriminal sa judge (The criminal is the father of the son of a judge. How is the criminal related to the judge)?"