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DOJ acquits husband in Laguna martilyo gang massacre

MANILA, Aug 3 (PNA) -- The man who was charged for allegedly masterminding the gruesome killing of his wife and child in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna last March 2 was acquitted by the prosecutor's office.

In a 14-page resolution dated July 27, 2016 signed by Deputy City Prosecutor Oscar Co and approved by Sta. Rosa City Prosecutor Cesar Calubag, the complaint of parricide against Ricardo "Richard" Sta. Ana Espera, Jr. was dismissed due to insufficiency of evidence.

On the other hand, the prosecutor's office has recommended the filing of two counts of murder, rape and theft against other respondent, namely, Ramoncito Bituin Galo and one John Doe alias Bryan.

On March 2, 2016, victims Pearl Helene Bon, wife of Ricardo, and their son, Denzel were both found covered with blood inside their house in Celina Plains Subdivision in Sta. Rosa City.

Upon the discovery of the crime, the victims were still rushed to the hospital, but Pearl died on March 5, 2016 while Denzel passed away on March 3, 2016.

Medico-legal examination conducted to the bodies of the victims points to "Entra-Cranial Hemorrhage" secondary to traumatic head injuries as the reason for their death.

Likewise, the genital examination on Pearl shows the presence of deep lacerations.

After police investigation, charges of two counts of parricide were filed against Ricardo, while Galo and another suspect alias Bryan faced charges of murder, theft and rape.

It was Atty. Percida V. Rueda-Acosta, the chief of the Public Attorney's Office (PAO), who stood as legal counsel for Ricardo.

Galo, who earlier surrendered to the authorities, has executed an extra-judicial confession where he identified Ricardo as the one who masterminded the killing of his own wife and son.

He also admitted his participation in the killings.

He claimed that he and another suspect named Bryan was contracted for Php60,000 by Richard to carry out the crime because of suspicion that his wife was having an extra-marital affair.

However, the prosecutor's office did not give weight to Galo's confession concerning Ricardo's alleged participation in the crime because the confession cannot stand alone as an evidence against Galo and that it has to be corroborated by other evidence.

"...there is absolutely no evidence adduced to establish conspiracy among Ramoncito, Ricardo and a certain Bryan. In short, the extrajudicial confession of Ramoncito lack the indispensable requisite of corroboration by other evidence," the DOJ resolution said.

However, in so far as Galo's involvement in the crime, the prosecutor's office declared that his own confession is enough to implicate him in the killing.

"A confession constitutes an evidence of high order since it is supported by the strong presumptions that no person of normal mind would deliberately and knowingly confess to a crime unless prompted by truth and his conscience," the resolution said.

The resolution added that "By his own admission, Ramoncito's presence in the place was brought about by his intent to kill the victims which supplies the motive for staging the killings. Finally, being in the vicinity of the victims' house on the day of the incident and having killed the victims by striking the victims with a hammer, which furnishes him with the means of committing the crime."

Considering also that Pearl was found naked and that based on the genital examination, her hymen has deep fresh lacerations, the prosecutor's office said that the crime of rape was more likely to have committed by Galo and Bryan. (PNA)

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