'We are not the murderers,' Tan brothers hit back on CIDG, Zaycos
Iloilo -- From outright denial to direct counter accusations, clear and strong words of disdain and ridicule marked the joint counter-affidavit of siblings Archie and Jan Michael Tan, prime suspects in murder and parricide charges over the celebrated Tan massacre.
Contained in a 35-page sworn statement, the duo who stands as respondents in said complaints docketed as I.S. No. 086-06 submitted before the Office of the Iloilo City Prosecutor their official stance while calling for its immediate dismissal.
'We should not be held to stand trial and to endure persecution,' the Tan siblings argued while stating that the charges as lodged by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were incoherent and incredible.
The evidences as presented against them were nothing but 'baseless inferences and suppositions disguising as 'established facts' and 'conclusions,' the two continued while adding that the CIDG's investigation were laden with alleged bias. Same assertion on the theory as presented by the CIDG with two perpetrators responsible on the gruesome killings of their parents Bobby and Cindy and stepsister 5 year-old Katherine.
The two said it was all 'tailor-made to hastily cause our indictment' with nothing grounded on solid evidence to allegedly back the CIDG on their findings, particularly the report made by SPO1 Eldy Bebit.
'The bias of the PNP-CIDG (where Bebit is assigned) against us and the inordinate haste with which they sought to terminate the investigation of our parents' death (a mere 3 days after it occurred) smacks of sheer incompetence and an agenda to protect the true parties who planned and executed the murder of our parents, all for media attention and a favorable self-serving statistic of a hollow accomplishment,' excerpts of the 35-page joint counter-affidavit stated.
A veteran government agent and respected CIDG investigator, Bebit was tasked and remains on the forefront of the Tan case. He has since been the entrusted with equally celebrated cases handled by the CIDG.
The Tan statement continued to raise questions as to why they were purportedly being singled out when there were sixteen people in the household at the time of the violent killings. This, as the two went on to point out the name of Mike Zayco and pal Miguel Sola 'who were thoroughly familiar with its ins-and-out and who had free access to our parents' area.'
'Why it struck Bebit to conclude that we are the only persons who fit the description of his 'suspects' manifests a deliberate purpose to divert the attention of the prosecutor away from the true suspects for reasons known only to him and his boss, P/SSupt. Renato Gumban, who also gave baseless conclusions to tailor-fit their complaint depicting us as the assailants of our parents,' the statement went.
Questions were also raised on the veracity of the autopsy report and findings of Dr. Owen Lebaquin, medico-legal officer that established the approximate time of death based on the victims' stomach content.
'The conclusion is erroneous or at best, grossly inaccurate because the premise that stomach emptying occurs four (4) hours after the last meal has no scientific basis,' the two argued while presenting a separate report of yet another forensic pathologist expert that moved to downplay Lebaquin's findings.
As for other potential suspects, the Tan siblings said, 'there were other people who knew where our parents' room was and who had free access to that room. Those persons include my mom's brother (Mike Zayco) his buddy (Miguel Sola) and their relatives. The security guards we employed and those whom my Dad fired out four (4) days before he was killed also knew of the layout of our house including my parents' room,' they stated. 'What is mysteriously suspicious is the fact that the investigating team did not even consider anybody else aside from us to be suspects in the killing of our parents and sister.'
'It thus remains a mystery to us why out of the numerous other more plausible and convincing theories available to them, the complainants chose to hurriedly lay the blame on us,' they also added while stressing that they have more to lose if they kill their parents.
'We are sons of well to do parents. We have never held a day's job in our entire life and have continued to rely solely on our parent's support. Our hands are soft, we are both slightly-over weight and we are not prone to violence. That we are 'little spoiled' is not denied. We had all the money we needed when our parents were alive. Fact is, we need not kill our parents to get our hands on the family fortune,' they stated.
The assertion that it was them were dismissed by the two as 'unworthy or belief. They are simply incredible even to the most gullible of minds. Their theory is chockfull of inconsistencies and bizarre behavior that it does not jibe with what normally happens in real life.'
Such as two murder-parricide respondents stated, 'the more plausible possibility is that complainants' overzealous attempt to pin the blame on us is meant to protect those clearly interested in benefiting from the death of our parents.'
'Without our parents, the burden of running the family business would naturally fall on us,' the two continued as it went on to state while adding that Archie has since refused responsibility while Raffy the next in line is still a minor. 'It is therefore easy to see that the persons who would be extremely interest in taking hold of our family business would be the Zaycos particularly Mike the elder brother of our Mom.'
Efforts to reach the Zaycos and the CIDG for reaction proved futile as of press time.
Meantime, the hearing for guardianship filed by family matriarch Conchita Tan was reset to March 9 with similar case filed by the Zaycos in Negros Occidental.