To Murder Charge:Silawan suspect pleads not guilty

CEBU, Philippines — In a move to lower the charge against him, the man who owned up to the brutal killing of 16-year-old Christine Lee Silawan pleaded not guilty to the murder case he is facing.

Renato Llenes, 42, entered his not guilty plea during the arraignment yesterday.

His lawyer, Manuel Degollacion, said Llenes will not retract his earlier statement and wants only that the case against him be downgraded to homicide.

"He admits to the killing but not to the murder charge. Murder and homicide are different based on the penalty," Degollacion said.

"Not guilty as to the charged of murder. But we want to emphasize that we want the crime charged be downgraded to homicide. And that's the time the accused will plead guilty," he added.

The penalty for homicide is lesser compared to the penalty for murder, which is imprisonment of up to 40 years.

Silawan, a Grade 9 student of Maribago National High School, was found dead in March this year at a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu City with her face skinned and with multiple stab wounds on her body.

The Lapu-Lapu City Prosecutor's Office charged Llenes with murder after Llenes issued an extra-judicial statement admitting to the crime.

"It has been established that respondent Llenes took off the face of Silawan and threw it into the bushes. Just like decapitation, the taking off of the face of the victim constitute outraging or scoffing of the victim’s corpse, thus qualifying the killing of murder,” read the joint-resolution.

Llenes executed an extra-judicial confession, claiming it was him who killed Silawan, and not the latter’s ex-boyfriend, a 17-year old boy.

“The chain of events as captured by the CCTV footages wherein Llenes was identified to be the profiled person wearing black short, short pants, and a ball cap while holding a mobile phone in his right hand before meeting with Christine and as the same person last seen with Christine create a circumstance that he could be the person responsible for her death,” prosecutors said.

The video footages were reportedly captured on March 10, the day before Silawan’s lifeless body was found.

Not Unusual

Prosecutor II Sheilamar Saliganan-Abadia said they were surprised by Llenes' plea but the same is reportedly not unusual.

"Surprised, although in practice, it happens. They execute extra-judicial confession. Thereafter, they will be detained at BJMP, then change their minds and plead not guilty in court. It's not unusual in our practice," she said.

Abadia said they are not keen on a plea bargaining agreement with Llenes’ camp because the crime committed was a heinous one.

"If they will plead guilty, then plead guilty to murder," she stated.

Like Abadia, the Deputy City Director for Operations of the Lapu-Lapu City Police (LCPO) was also not surprised by Llenes’ not guilty plea.

Lt. Colonel David Señor said Llenes may have changed his mind after his lawyers laid options down for him.

“We are not surprised sa iyang desisyon. Isa man sad na sa atoang na-anticipate nga posibilidad. Bisan pa man, mupadayon ang kaso because we believe nga sakto ang ebidensya nga nakuha against niya (We are not surprised by his decision because we also anticipated it. Despite this, the case will continue because we believe the evidence against him is right),” Señor said. —  JMO (FREEMAN)