Subpoena vs. Tan brods out, confirms lawyer
Iloilo City -- The lawyer of Archie and John Michael Tan confirmed on Saturday that the City Prosecution Office (CPO) has sent a subpoena for her two clients in relation to the double murder and parricide complaints filed against them by the 6th Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for the death of their father Bobby, his wife Cindy and daughter Catherine.
Atty. Nelia Jesusa Lingaya Gonzales said Archie and John Michael received the subpoena last Friday around 5:30 p.m., hours after the complaint was filed at the CPO. She said, her two clients informed her after the subpoena was delivered to their mansion. The respondents were given 10 days to answer the complaint.
Gonzales said she was surprised to know that the CPO immediately sent the subpoena to Archie and John Michael. The subpoena came ahead of the time they are expecting to receive it. She expects to receive the subpoena this week. She surmised that the subpoena was immediately sent because of the nature of the case. "We have no choice but to face the case knowing there is already a formal complaint," the lawyer said.
Gonzales entered her appearance to the CPO when the CIDG filed the complaint against Archie and John Michael. She used to be an associate of Atty. Leonardo Jiz, Bobby's legal counsel and spokesperson of the Tan family.
Assistant City Prosecutor Jeremy Bionat was assigned as the investigating prosecutor in the celebrated case. He will evaluate the evidences presented by the CIDG to determine if there is probable cause to file it in court.
Gonzales said she is reviewing the case folder involving her two clients. She maintained that although a complaint was already filed the two brothers are still presumed innocent until found guilty.
The filing of the case was based on circumstantial evidences gathered by the CIDG. Probers also used the statements of 15 people including security guards J. Vini Gulmatico and Ramil Loberiza.
Earlier, Gulmatico was alluded by Conchita Tan, aunt of Bobby, to have something to do with the killing.