Imus court sets arraignment of Kawit shooter cohort

The case 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 set for arraignment by the Imus, Cavite Regional Trial Court Branch 22 on February 4.

Cavite Chief Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said Bae’s arraignment was set at 8:30 a.m. 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 said Lopez would be tried as a co-conspirator of Bae, who went on a shooting rampage in Barangay Tabon Uno in Kawit last January 4, killing seven persons and wounding 10 others. Bae was later shot dead by responding policemen who stormed his house.

Police investigation revealed that Lopez helped reload the caliber .45 pistol as Bae went on a 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 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.