Witness misidentifies suspect in Cruz murder
ROXAS CITY – Respondents in the Art Cruz murder case scored during the preliminary investigation (PI) on Tuesday afternoon after the lone witness Jurlyn Dumangon mistakenly pointed to the wife of the late Bombo Radyo Station Manager Boy Hinolan, Mrs. Aprodite Vidal Hinolan, as Engr. Ethel Morales, one of the respondents of the case.
Dumangon, 19, of Barangay Pondol, Pres. Roxas, Capiz, also pointed at dyOW Bombo Radyo anchorman Erwin Bonifacio as the one who accompanied her to identify Morales at her office at 1st engineering district of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). However, Bonifacio strongly denied the witness’ allegation.
Atty. Atlas Catalan, lawyer of Lyndofer Beup (not Glendofer as earlier reported) said that the respondents had scored three points: one was that the witness failed to identify Morales as the suspect and instead pointed at Mrs. Hinolan as Engr. Morales. The widow Hinolan, who happened to be the aunt of Beup, attended the PI.
Secondly, Catalan said that the witness' statements were inconsistent with her sworn affidavit and that the witness said that she never identified Morales when she visited DPWH office because she (Morales) was not facing her.
“Had the police not provided a picture of my client, Beup, maybe the witness could not identify him inside the prosecutor’s office,” Catalan said.
Catalan said that the witness fabricated her statements against the suspects who are only fall guys in the killing of Mr. Art Cruz adding that he hoped for the dismissal of the case against his client and other co-accused.
Morales filed perjury case against the witness before the City Prosecutor’s Office for the latter’s fabricated statements.
During the PI, Morales her relatives and Beup showed tears in their eyes as they insisted that they are innocent in the case.
The case is handled by Asst. City Prosecutor Fernald H. Hornales and 4th Asst. Prosecutor James Advincula as special prosecutors of the case formed earlier by City Prosecutor Erwin Ignacio.
Present during the hearing were the witness, police, and lawyers: Kenneth Alovera representing Cruz family, Catalan for Beup and Ador Ramos for Engr. Ethel Morales.
Last May 12, Beup, blocktimer mediaman and municipal administrator of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo; Morales, project engineer of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 1st engineering district; and a certain Rand were charged of murder in connection with the death of Cruz, political officer of 1st District Cong. Antonio del Rosario.
The case is docketed as No. VI-16-INV-09F-000161 entitled SP01 Charlyn Tupaz vs Alyas Glenn, Ethel and Rand for murder.
The next hearing is set on July 13 with clarificatory questions to be taken from the lone witness and the police who filed the case against respondents.