Case against Bae cohort set for arraignment

MANILA, Philippines - The cases of multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder earlier filed against John Paul Lopez, the house caretaker of slain Kawit, Cavite mass shooter Ronald Bae has been raffled off to a Cavite court and is being set for arraignment.

Cavite Chief Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said the case has been raffled off to the Cavite Regional Trial Court Branch 22.

“He (Lopez) should be arraigned within 10 days since he is facing a non-bailable offense. We are just waiting for the arraignment date,” Velasco told the Star.

Velasco said Lopez would be tried as a co-conspirator of Bae, who went on a shooting rampage in Barangay Tabon 1 in Kawit last Jan. 4, killing seven persons and wounding 10 others. Bae was later shot dead by responding policemen who stormed his house.

Police investigation revealed that it was Lopez who helped reload the .45 caliber pistol as Bae went on his rampage. Lopez however claimed that he was under duress when he helped Bae reload the pistol. Bae had escaped criminal prosecution by his death.

Velasco said Lopez would be transferred from the custody of the Imus Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to the Cavite Provincial Jail after his arraignment.

Velasco added that although prosecutors are not demanding a marathon hearing of the case, they would make sure that the hearings would not be delayed.

“He would be treated like an ordinary criminal but we will object to any delay in the proceedings,” said Velasco.

“He will be tried based on evidence as Bae’s co-conspirator. The act of one is the act of all although he did not exactly pull the trigger,” Velasco added.