DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte – The Department of Justice (DOJ) has dismissed the murder and arson cases filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against the incumbent mayor of Siayan town, this province.
In a decision dated February 6 and received by Mayor Flora Villarosa on February 15, the DOJ found the stories of self-confessed killers to be unbelievable.
“While we sympathize with the family of Restituto “Toto” Sasuman (victim) for his death and the burning of their house, we cannot, however, accept the theory of the complainant and believe in the stories of respondents Ernie Lumocso and Roy Balayong (self-confessed killers) and charge innocent people and, worse, use our office to charge innocent people, for the crimes they have not committed,” Acting Provincial Prosecutor Peter Ong said.
Villarosa told the Philippine News Agency she was thankful for the dismissal of the charges.
She said implicating her in the death of Sasuman and the burning of his house "was in the first place a mere fabrication that was brought about by political motivation.”
Villarosa is running for Congress against incumbent 2nd District Representative Glona Labadlabad, wife of former Congressman Rosendo Labadlabad, who is known to be one of the four political stalwarts in this province.
The murder and arson cases emerged after Lumocso and Balayong surfaced with their confessions last year, claiming that on orders of Villarosa through her municipal administrator--Lawyer Josecor Gepolongca--Lumocso with the help of Balayong killed Sasuman and burned his house in Siayan on September 15, 2016.
However, the prosecutor said the stories of Lumocso and Balayong were easily refuted by Villarosa’s witnesses and documents.
The mayor and her administrator flatly denied Lumocso and Balayong’s accusations.
Among their other claims, Lumocso said he was inside the Siayan Diagnostic and HealthCare Center on the night of Sasuman’s murder and the burning of his house located near the center.
This was disproved by four nurses and midwives assigned at the center saying they personally know Sasuman, and did not notice him inside the center the night of the crime.
The prosecutor also pointed to other claims by the suspects that were outrightly refuted by other witnesses. (PNA)
