Archival slay: Suspects ask more days for evidence

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit-7 tagged in the killing of lawyer Noel Archival are asking the provincial prosecutor’s office for more time to submit their additional evidence.

Lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna said they filed on Thursday a motion for extension or an additional 20 days to file supplemental affidavit before prosecutor Jesus Rodrigo Tagaan.

“We received first, 11 documents (evidence) on July 2 and we were given 10 days to submit our supplemental counter-affidavit and comments to the National Bureau of Investigation-7. Considering our clients were in Manila, we asked for extension,” said Dela Cerna.

Tagaan was deputy city prosecutor of Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor’s Office. However, pursuant to office order No. 14-27 issued by Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, he was designated as acting Cebu Provincial Prosecutor to resolve the complaint for multiple murder and frustrated murder filed against RHPU-7 chief  Senior Superintendent Romualdo Iglesia, Senior Inspector Joselito Lerion, Chief  Inspector Eduardo Mara, Senior Police Officer 4 Edwin Galan and Police Officer 1 Alex Bacani.

Gubalane earlier issued the order after the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office inhibited from handling the preliminary investigation of the complaints for the determination of probable cause.

Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba said the five-man panel inhibited due to mistrust and not on a legal basis.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Tagaan on June 23, 2014 denied the motion filed by RHPU-7 officials to defer and hold in abeyance the conduct of preliminary investigation of the complaints.

“A delay in the dispensation of justice is a denial thereof,” said Tagaan.

In their motion, the respondents said that while the Department of Justice has not yet resolved their motion for reconsideration on the order denying their motion for change of venue and inhibition, they have sought to defer first the conduct of preliminary investigation.

On February 18, Archival and his companions were ambushed in Barangay Corro, Dalaguete while on their way to Cebu City.

Archival, his driver Alejandro Jayme and bodyguard Candido Miñoza were killed during the attack, while his on-call assistant, Paolo Cortes, survived. —/NSA (FREEMAN)