Murder case filed against suspects

DUMAGUETE CITY ,Philippines  – Murder charges was filed yesterday against five suspects who allegedly conspired to kill businessman Demetrio Larena III last week at Brgy. Campaclan in Sibulan town of Negros Oriental.

Charged before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office were Jerry Enocerta, his wife Espedita, both residents of Barangay Malaunay in Valencia, Jerry’s brother Jimmy Enocerta, Ramel Dongcoy, a resident of Tanjay City and a certain Misael of Siaton, all of Negros Oriental, for the killing of Larena.

The couple, Jerry and Espedita were the caretaker of the beach house of the victim in Brgy. Cangmating of Sibulan.

Jimmy and Misael were the suspected assailants who gunned down Larena at close range. The victim died on the spot.

During yesterday’s inquest proceedings before assistant provincial prosecutor Maritess Macarubbo, the accused waived their rights to a preliminary investigation and asked that they be detained at the Negros Oriental provincial jail. The spouses were assisted by lawyer Elton Abrea of the Provincial Attorney’s Office.

The identities of the suspects were traced via mobile phone messages from the victim’s cellphone to a mobile phone allegedly belonging to Espedita. The messages helped investigators locate the spouses, who, after their arrest midnight of Thursday, disclosed the identities of the purported hit men.

Espedita claimed in media interviews and in the presence of law enforcement authorities that she was allegedly sexually abused by Larena since last July and the act was repeated a number of times since then. She further claimed she did not tell anyone about it as she was allegedly threatened by the businessman.

Her husband Jerry admitted that after noticing that his wife exhibited questionable behavior, he took away her cellphone and used the same in sending messages to the victim in an apparent plan, along with the other suspects, to waylay him.

The plan to kill Larena came after Jerry confided to his brother Jimmy about his wife’s problem with Larena. Jimmy and the other suspects showed sympathy and all five of them allegedly hatched the plan to kill the businessman.