13 witnesses to testify vs town mayor for newsman's slay

BALER, Aurora — Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge Armando Yanga said yesterday that 13 witnesses will testify against Mayor Jaime Ylarde who was tagged as the mastermind in the killing of a publisher-editor of a local paper in Dingalan in May last year.

The defense, on the other hand, will present 14 witnesses.

In an interview with The Star, Yanga disclosed that Ylarde, who had himself jailed two weeks ago even before any arrest warrant could be issued against him, will remain in jail as the hearing on his petition for bail was deferred to June 30.

"Prosecution witnesses (Reynaldo) Morete and Rosevel Cruz arrived, but they did not have the documents I had expected them to bring," Yanga said. Cruz is the daughter of slain Philip Agustin, publisher-editor of Starline Times Recorder, while Morete, who had admitted acting as lookout during the shooting, will turn state witness in the murder case.

Yanga said he expected both prosecution and defense panels to present all their affidavits and counter-affidavits needed for the pre-trial so that the trial could start this month.

He said the hearing on Ylarde’s petition for bail will also be held on June 30, with the prosecution expected to present five witnesses to block the petition.

Yanga earlier said that the decision to grant bail would depend on the evidence that will be presented by the prosecution against Ylarde. "I was told that the witnesses were supposed to bring documents on charges filed against the mayor before the Ombudsman but they did not bring any so I cancelled the hearing for the bail petition," he said.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) based in Cabanatuan City and Cruz are the complainants in the murder case against Ylarde and two others, Boy Morete and Emmanuel Alday, whom he allegedly hired to kill Agustin.

Reynaldo Morete, a cousin of Boy, implicated the mayor as the mastermind in the killing.

Both Boy Morete and Alday have remained at large.

Pedro Roque Jr., director of the NBI in Cabanatuan City, said Reynaldo Morete and two other witnesses he identified as Roy Canoria and Rose de la Agustin have been placed under the witness protection program of the Department of Justice.

Yanga said that prosecution will present 10 other witnesses though he did not identify them.

There were reports that Boy has sent surrender feelers after surviving an attempt on his life by unidentified men.

Roque said investigations indicated that it was Alday who shot Agustin. He said, however, that Alday seems to have no plans to surrender.

Roque said that Reynaldo will plead not guilty to the murder charge at his arraignment before the regional trial court in Baler on June 30.

"After this, we expect him to be discharged as state witness in the case," he added.

Roque also disclosed findings that the suspects belong to a gun-for-hire group with 12 members based in Umiray and Dingalan in Aurora.