Archival slay, HPG officer denies involvement

CEBU, Philippines - In his 16-page counter-affidavit, Police Senior Inspector Joselito Lerion of the Highway Patrol Group denied involvement in the killing of lawyer Noel Archival and his companions in Barangay Coro, Dalaguete, three months ago.

 Lerion said implicating him and Regional Highway Patrol Unit-7 chief Senior Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, Chief Inspector Eduardo Mara, SPO4 Edwin Galan and PO1 Alex Bacani for multiple murder and frustrated murder is merely unfounded.

 â€œI vehemently deny the accusations made by National Bureau of Investigation-7 agents against me and my other companions for being specious and speculative. In fact a cursory reading of the complaint would readily reveal that NBI-7 relied merely on inferences to implicate me of the crime charged,” he stated.  Lerion indicated in his counter affidavit all of the places he was in on February 18, during the ambush of Archival, his driver Alejandro Jayme and bodyguard Candido Miñoza. 

From 8:30 a.m until 5 p.m, Lerion said he was in Cebu City, making it physically impossible that he was in Dalaguete.

 He added that from Dalaguete to Cebu City it was impossible to be in Cebu City at about 3:30 p.m. considering the ambush of Archival was around 1 p.m. He said traffic jams going to Cebu City and the road widening should also be considered.

Also, Lerion said he has doubt on the cartridge shell casing allegedly recovered by the NBI inside the impounded red Toyota Vios believed to be used in the ambush of Archival, which was allegedly driven by him.

Further, Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba told the media that considering there is no decision yet on the request of the respondents for the transfer of venue for the hearings which was filed before the Department of Justice, they extended the preliminary investigation from 60 days to 75 days.

 She said this is also to give the respondents 10 more days to file their additional evidences as what they mentioned in their motion.

 Meanwhile, five officers coming from HPG headquarters in Camp Crame has been designated to fill in the vacant positions of the five HPG-7 officials tagged in the killing of Archival.

 HPG-7 spokesperson Sr. Insp. Oliver Plania said that the five officials started reporting for their new assignment last week.

Senior Supt. Sheldon Jacaban is now the regional chief of HPG; Supt. Rommel Ochave as the deputy chief and the three others are Senior Inspector Gregorio Sanchez; Senior Inspector Silvestre Cenia, and Inspector Charlie Reyes. — (FREEMAN)