Court sees ‘strong’ case vs 3 cops in Spaniard’s slay
A Manila court denied the bail petitions of three police officers charged with murder and planting of evidence on slain Spanish businessman Diego Lafuente, a victim of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s antidrug war in 2020.
Acting Presiding Judge Mary Jean Ong of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 1 ruled the prosecution was able to prove conspiracy among former police chief Wise Vicente Panuelos, Staff Sgt. Ronel Pazo and Staff Sgt. Nido Cortes in Lafuente’s killing.
Lafuente was shot dead in an alleged shootout with the suspects on Jan. 8, 2020, in General Luna town on Siargao Island. He was a surfer who had been living on the island since 2017, running a surf shop and restaurant-bar he had started.
In denying the bail petitions of the three cops, the court relied on the National Bureau of Investigation’s report backed by documentary, testimonial and forensic evidence, in finding that Lafuente’s death did not result from an “armed encounter.”
“All told, the prosecution was able to prove that evidence of guilt against all accused is strong. At this point, the defense that Lafuente fired at the accused in the course of a buy-bust operation and that the latter retaliated to secure their safety remains a mere version of the accused,” the court said in a ruling dated May 27.
The cases for murder under Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code and planting of evidence under Section 38 of Republic Act No. 10591 were filed against the three before the Surigao Regional Trial Court in 2020.
These were then forwarded to the Manila RTC after the private complainant in 2023 filed a motion for change of venue, which was granted by the Supreme Court.
In requesting bail, Pazo claimed he merely acted as poseur buyer and there was reasonable indication that he did not participate in the death of Lafuente.
Panuelos insisted there were no eyewitnesses to the commission of crimes or incriminating pieces of evidence taken immediately after the incident and that they were charged on the basis of the NBI report submitted more than a year after the victim’s killing.
Cortes asserted the evidence against him was weak.
But the Manila RTC found their petitions “devoid of merit,” ruling that the evidence of guilt against the three was strong.
For instance, the court said all accused admitted they were at the scene of the crime as they had participated in the buy-bust operation.
