Tan's ex-guard faces media, denies participation in killings
J. Vini Gulmatico
Iloilo City -- Security guard J. Vini Gulmatico denied any involvement in the grisly Tan massacre which shocked Iloilo City early this week.
Gulmatico, backed by his superiors at Mansor Security Agency, faced the media on Wednesday to debunk Conchita Tan's earlier statement alluding to him as the perpetrator in the murder of Tan's nephew Bobby, and his wife and daughter.
Ms. Tan in a press conference Tuesday mentioned the name Totong, allegedly their former security guard, as her main suspect in the crime.
It turned out that Gulmatico was the only guard named Totong who had previously served the Tan family.
Gulmatico told reporters that he could not be responsible for the killings as he does not have any grudge with his former employer Bobby Tan.
He said, he was in their house during the time of the incident. On Sunday morning, he attended his cocks and slept at 10:00 in the evening. The following day, he woke up at 5:30 a.m. and fed his fighting cocks.
Gulmatico added he has a missed call coming from her aunt when he returned to their home. He immediately fixed himself and went to his aunt's house only to hear the news about his former boss. His family members knew he served the Tan family.
He said, after hearing the news, he texted Ruben Oscares, operations officer of the Mansor Security Agency and went to the their office. While, on his way to Iloilo City, Oscares called Gulmatico informing him that CIDG investigators wanted to invite him for questioning.
He waited for Oscares before they went to the CIDG office. He was called several times to the CIDG office to shed light on the killing. Gulmatico said he was never tortured nor threatened at the CIDG office.
Prior to the announcement of Ms. Tan, he has already issued statement to the police investigators. He was even surprised when he was alluded by Ms. Tan as suspect in the murder as he has already extended his cooperation in the investigation.
Meanwhile, Atty. Jose Maraņon asked Conchita Tan to stop implicating his client Gulmatico from the murder of the three members of her family.
Gulmatico is formerly assigned as security guard in Tan's mansion at M. H. Del Pilar Street, Molo. Four days before the commission of the crime, Gulmatico's service of contract to Tan was terminated upon the request of Bobby.
Gulmatico, is a reserved 2Lt. of the Philippine Airforce (PAF). He joined Mansor on August 2004. Other than his assignment at the mansion, he was also assigned in Tan's cockfarm and as security to Bobby's kids at the time when kidnap-for-ransom cases were on the rise.
Maraņon said, Ms. Tan should stop insinuating the participation his client in the killings, the same way that she wanted to stop insinuations about the participation of her kins Archie and John Michael in the grisly murder.
"He (Gulmatico) is not even a suspect in the killing," the lawyer stressed
The lawyer said Gulmatico was only invited for questioning before 6th Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and is not in any way considered a suspect in the crime. The security guard voluntarily issued his statement to the police investigators.
He added that nothing was even vital to the statement made by Gulmatico specifically on the relationships among Tan's family. He has no direct information as they are not even allowed to enter the main house. All the information about the family was only relayed to him by household staff. They are considered hearsay, Maraņon said.
For his part, Atty. Alfredo Arungayan III, legal counsel of Mansor Security Agency, said they will extend their assistance to Gulmatico and Rommel Loberiza, the guard in the Tan mansion when the crime happened, should there be cases filed against them.
He said the two security guards are still presumed innocent unless proven guilty. " As of this time, we believe they are innocent and has nothing to do with the crime," said Arungayan.
The two security guards are still connected with the security agency. Gulmatico and Loberiza's services are not yet terminated. However, they are not given work assignments.