Murder raps filed vs 7 in ambush of nat'l mental health chief Cortez, driver
MANILA, Philippines — Seven suspects are facing murder raps for suspected involvement in the shooting of former National Center for Mental Health director Roland Cortez and his driver—including his former executive Clarita Avila—Quezon City Police District said Tuesday.
Police Brig. Gen. Ronnie Montejo, QCPD director, disclosed in a statement that the district had filed two counts of murder the day before against seven suspects who have involvement in the shooting to death of Cortez and his driver Ernesto Dela Cruz at about 7:00 a.m., July 27, 2020, along Cassanova Drive corner Tandang Sora Ave., Brgy. Culiat.
The other suspects are NCMH employees George Serrano and Harly Pagarigan, and Roman Eugenio, Sonny Sandicho, Ma. Cristina Riego Dela Cruz, and Edieson Riego.
Montejo said that two counts of murder cases were filed directly before the QC Prosecutor’s Office "against six suspects and other several John Does" based on evidence gathered by the district Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit
"With the filing of the case against the suspects, this case is considered solved. Likewise, the suspects who are all at large will be given the chance to prove their innocence in court," he said.
In an earlier Philstar.com story, Cortez in an online exchange called Avila a "defiant non-entity," citing her lackluster performance of her duties and poor treatment of her colleagues at the NCMH. He corroborated this with documents that showed that Avila did not submit necessary performance reviews for almost a year.
Earlier in April, Avila made headlines when she was reassigned to the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas after she came out with a scathing expose over the coronavirus situation at the mental health facility.
She was quoted in a report by GMA News Online as saying that her reassignment was "because of my exposé made to media about the gag order issued to me by Dr. [Roland] Cortez and my exposé about what's happening inside the NCMH."
- Latest
- Trending
