IbArrA
Number of posts : 58
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Registration date : 2009-03-06
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 Subject: Driver, 3 maids face inquest over Failon wife's shooting Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:31 pm |
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MANILA, Philippines - Police on Thursday picked up the driver and three house helpers of ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon for them to give evidence at the inquest into the shooting incident that seriously injured Failon's wife, Trinidad Etong.
First to be taken from the Failon residence in Tierra Pura Homes in Tandang Sora, Quezon City were Pacifico Apacible and Carlota Morbos. They were followed by Wilfreda Bullecer and driver Glenn Ponan. The police will take the four to Camp Karingal in Quezon City.
An inquest refers to an inquiry into a matter usually held before a jury, especially those that have to do with cause of a death. In the Philippines, an inquest is a summary investigation by a public prosecutor in a criminal case that involves individuals arrested without the benefit of a warrant of arrest issued by the court.
Superintendent Franklin Mabanag, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District, told reporters that the four "including Failon" would face inquest for possible violation of Presidential Decree 1829 or the law penalizing the obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders.
"Lahat sila including Ted...Di Kailangan ng warrant for 1829," said Mabanag, adding that those who were taken for inquest "hindered the investigation" of the police by not immediately reporting the shooting incident and cleaning up the place where the incident supposedly took place.
Earlier, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) head Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said that everyone residing at Failon’s residence would be treated as a suspect in the shooting incident.
"Everyone there is a suspect because it [incident] happened inside the house," Rosales said in a press conference at Camp Karingal in Quezon City.
Rosales issued the statement even as Failon had claimed that when he arrived home from his radio program on Wednesday, he saw his bloodied wife lying on the bathroom floor.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Failon’s daughter, Kaye Etong, said she believes that her mother attempted to commit suicide and that her father was not in their house when the shooting occurred.
"That my father [shot] my mother is a stupid idea. My father was not in our house when the shooting happened. Isn’t he supposed to be innocent until proven guilty?...It was a self-inflicted incident. My mother tried to commit suicide by shooting herself in the head," Kaye said in an interview on dzMM radio.
Trinidad is fighting for her life at the New Era General Hospital in Quezon City.
Paraffin test
In the same press conference, Rosales said that the paraffin test conducted on Failon yielded negative results, but added that the test was still inconclusive.
Rosales said that investigation on the incident is still underway and that the police are still gathering evidence to determine the nature of Trinidad’s shooting.
The police official added that they have "pieces of [evidence] which might disagree with the statements of Failon."
For her part, Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) head Persida Rueda Acosta said there was no direct evidence pointing to Failon as the one who shot Trinidad. Acosta accompanied Failon back to the New Era Hospital from Camp Karingal after his statement was notarized.
In a separate press conference, Acosta said that the sworn statements of Failon and his driver Glenn matched.
"Nag-jive po naman, wala pong direct evidence na nagtuturo dito kay Mr. Failon," Acosta said.
The PAO temporarily served as Failon’s lawyer after dzMM officials contacted the PAO on Wednesday afternoon to notarize the sworn statements, Acosta said.
Acosta added they are still waiting for the sworn statements of the household helpers and Trinidad’s sister who allegedly knew of Trinidad’s supposed plan to commit suicide.
Suicide?
At Camp Karingal, Rosales said the note supposedly written by Trinidad on Tuesday was not necessarily a suicide note. "It’s a sorry note," Rosales said, noting that the writer who called herself “Mama" repeatedly apologized to a certain “Papa."
Rosales said police were still investigating whether it was Trinidad herself who wrote the note, which read:
"Papa, I’m so sorry. Gustung-gusto ko ang magsabi sa iyo ng totoo pero hindi ko po alam kung paano uumpisahan. Sobrang takut na takot ako. Umalis muna ako, kasi hindi ko kaya at nahihiya akong humarap sa iyo. Sana po mapatawad mo ako, papa. Sorry, sorry papa – Mama."
[Papa, I’m so sorry. I really want to tell you the truth but I don’t know where to start. I am so scared. I left home because I cannot take it anymore and I don’t think I can face you. I hope you can forgive me, papa. Sorry, sorry papa – Mama.]
In the radio interview earlier, Kaye said she believed it was her mother who wrote the letter. "I know my mother’s handwriting. Noong nakita ko yung sulat, alam ko po na 'yun ang sulat ni Mama [When I saw the letter, I knew that it was she who wrote it]," Kaye said.
Acosta said that based on the assessment of PAO’s forensic expert, "Generally, this is a case of suicide. Ang tama kasi ni misis, talagang compatible sa suicide [Her gunshot wound would indicate she attempted to commit suicide."
According to Acosta, Trinidad might have tried to kill herself due to financial problems.
Fair probe
Rosales assured that the investigation would be fair and would follow due process.
"Walang sacred cow [There will be no sacred cow]...I would like to emphasize that we would treat this (investigation) just like any other (investigation)," Rosales said.
Asked whether the police would file a case against Failon, Rosales said: "After we examine the pieces of evidence, that’s the time you will be able to build (a case) or not. We have to wait for the final results of the evidence."
Still, Acosta reiterated that the police have no reason to detain Failon since there are no charges filed yet and no warrant of arrest and no memorandum order.
"As far as Failon is concerned, it is my opinion na wala pong rason para ikulong siya [there is no reason to detain him]," she said. - GMANews.TV
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