Campbell slay trial ends

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya - The prosecution in the Julia Campbell murder trial expressed confidence that the accused killer of the 40-year-old US Peace Corps volunteer would be convicted.

The formal murder trial ended Wednesday at the Banaue (Ifugao) Regional Trial Court.

“I expect that the court would give a guilty verdict in June based on the evidence and testimony we have presented,” said Dean Reynaldo Agranzamendez Sr., the lead private prosecutor.

Defendant Juan Donald Duntugan’s lawyers, Pedro Mayam-o and Eugene Ballitang, wrapped up their case after presenting only one witness in the last hearing the other day.

It was attended by Campbell’s mother, Julia, who came all the way from the United States for the first death anniversary of her daughter.

Banaue Judge Ester Piscoso-Flor set the promulgation of the case on June 30.

The 25-year-old accused would be sentenced either to homicide – as the defense team has insisted – or murder for which he was tried.

Ifugao provincial prosecutor Joseph Tumapang and the four-man private prosecution team from the Baguio City-based Agranzamendez, Liceraldo, Gallardo and Associates Law firm led by Agranzamendez are confident that the evidence and witnesses they had presented would lead to Duntugan’s murder conviction.

When the Campbell murder trial resumed last April 8, it took the defense only two days to wrap up its case and presented only one witness, PO3 Arnold Dalluyon of the Banaue police.

The court ordered the prosecution and defense to submit their memoranda by May 9, or 30 days after the last hearing last Wednesday.