Bacolod Metropolis in Negros Occidental. (Picture from Google Maps)
MANILA, Philippines — A Bacolod Court docket has discovered two Military troopers responsible of the homicide of Benjamin Bayles, Bayan Muna coordinator and a member of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente.
In a call made public Monday, the Bacolod Metropolis Regional Trial Court docket Department 42 meted the penalty of as much as 40 years imprisonment in opposition to Rafael Cordova a.okay.a. Roger Bajon, and Reygine G. Laus a.okay.a. Ronnie Caurino.
Bajon and Caurino had been additionally ordered to pay the heirs of Bayles a complete of P300,000 for civil, ethical, and exemplary damages.
The case
Bayles was shot to loss of life on June 14, 2010, in Himamaylan Metropolis, Negros Occidental, by two males sporting helmets and sweatshirts on board a black bike.
One of many witnesses, John Rey Mayongue, mentioned they had been on their manner dwelling once they seen a motorbike stopped by on the aspect of the street the place they had been alleged to move.
He positively recognized Bajon as the primary who shot Bayles.
“I noticed Benie jerking, falling within the canal…He simply continues firing,” the witness mentioned including that Caurino adopted Bajon and in addition began capturing at Bayles.
His testimony was corroborated by one other witness, a tricycle driver who was additionally within the space when the incident occurred.
Because it turned out, as early as April, there have been troopers inquiring about Bayles and the witness additionally recognized each Bajon and Caurino.
Each the accused, who admitted being members of the Intelligence Division of the Philippine Military denied involvement within the killing.
They mentioned they had been on depart from June 11 t 14, 2010, and had been passing alongside Kabankalan Metropolis once they had been stopped and arrested by the police.
The ruling
The court docket mentioned the testimonies of the witnesses “when taken along with different items of proof constituting an unbroken chain, results in a good and affordable conclusion that the accused is the writer of the crime…”
The court docket added that the affirmative testimony of the witnesses is “far stronger” than the denial of the accused.
It famous that the 2 accused admitted that they had been throughout the space of the incident when the crime occurred it was “due to this fact not bodily unimaginable for the accused to have been on the scene of the crime on the time of its fee.”
The court docket added that whereas the 2 accused examined unfavorable within the paraffin check and ballistic examination of the slugs recovered from the scene of the crime, the court docket mentioned “accused may have simply used completely different.45 caliber firearms. It was additionally doable that they surrendered to the police a firearm completely different from one they really used to kill the sufferer.”
“From everything of the testimonial and documentary proof proffered by the prosecution, this Court docket is of the thought of view that, the prosecution was in a position to set up the guilt of the accused by that quantum of proof enough to supply an ethical certainty that might persuade the conscience of those that are to behave in judgment,” the court docket added.
A time for every thing
The Nationwide Union of Peoples’ Legal professionals (NUPL), whose members acted as non-public prosecutors, mentioned that, though they’ve waited greater than a decade earlier than two military personnel had been convicted for Bayles’ loss of life, “these communicate volumes. But it isn’t misplaced on us that justice will come later even when not sooner.”
“That is for you, Ben Bayles, and Ben Ramos, the latter who was with us to see this via earlier than he himself was killed in 2018. Now we have to acknowledge the function our companions within the prosecution performed too,” Edre Olalia, NUPL president mentioned.
“This can be a clear message and warning to those that assume there’s immunity for impunity. However most of all, that is for these nonetheless ready for justice to be served. Have religion. It is going to come by some means, someday,” he added.
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