THE police recommended the filing of robbery and rape with homicide charges against the five suspects in the killing of 30-year-old working student Cherrymae Dayo, who was stabbed and sexually assaulted Friday evening, March 10, inside the house she was looking after.
Police Station 1 Chief Maricris Mulat said they added robbery charges against the suspects after discovering that some of the victim's belongings, her mobile phone, laptop, and an undetermined amount of cash and clothes were missing after the incident.
Set to be charged in Dayo’s rape and murder are suspects Warren Amarga, Joel Jonson, Angel Mae Rada, Joan Escalante and a 17-year-old minor.
Mulat said eyewitnesses recounted seeing all the five suspects coming in and out of the house with at least one of the suspects, later identified as Warren Amarga, carrying some garments upon their escape. They also said two of the suspects later stayed behind to see if Dayo really died.
Mulat added Amarga’s confession and earlier statement claiming sole responsibility for the crime cannot excuse the four for supposedly acting as accessories and accomplices to the crime.
She said Amarga’s two brothers surfaced to tell investigators that their brother wanted to execute a judicial affidavit of confession and affirming that the other suspects had nothing to do with the incident.
“The same iyang statements nga iyang giangkon sa iyang mga igsoon nga iyang gidunggab ayha gilugos ang biktima (Amarga did not recant his earlier statements and he told his brothers that he stabbed then raped the victim),” Mulat said.
The police chief said the suspects have not secured the services of a lawyer, prompting them to request lawyer Alejandro Jose Pallugna to represent the suspects so that the inquest can proceed.
“Klarohon ko nga gihangyo ako sa police nga mag-represent sa mga suspects aron madayon ang inquest proceedings (Let me make this clear. I was asked by the police to represent the suspects so that the inquest proceedings can take place),” Pallugna said.
Pallugna said the preliminary investigation or the inquest proceedings cannot begin if the suspects are not legally represented.
The City Prosecutor's Office, tasked with determining the existence of probable cause, is set to issue a resolution today, March 14, he added.
At the outrage of the public with others have been able to poke, slap and strike at the suspects during Monday's inquest proceedings, the police calls for calmness since the case already rested on the hands of law.
The five suspects were once again surrounded by an angry mob when police escorted them to the fiscal’s office on Monday.
“Makita nato unsa kasuko ang mga tawo nga ang uban naghangyo nga mosumbag kay nag-empathized sila sa helpless nga victim, hangyo lang mi kalma lang kay nakaso naman kini (We can see how angry the mob is with some people even asking to punch the suspects. We are asking the people to calm down and to wait for the case to proceed),” Mulat said.
