PROSPERIDAD,Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 11 December) – The three people accused of involvement in the killing of a mining executive, retired Col. Samuel Afdal, two years ago did not show up during the preliminary investigation at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor here on Monday, 11 December.
Only a lawyer for the accused came for the preliminary investigation scheduled at 2 p.m.
But it was not immediately known if the lawyer represented all three whom Afdal’s widow, Evelyn, charged for conspiring to kill her husband on Oct. 26, 2021 while he was driving uphill in Rosario, Agusan del Norte.
Evelyn’s complaint filed last October named as respondents Ryan Mark Baylon, who is described as a business associate of the former soldier-turned-businessman, and former communist guerrillas Rosalino Degracia and Alemar Awado.
Her complaint largely stemmed from a confession of alleged gunman Jeffrey Mamerto, also a former communist guerrilla, that Degracia and Awado were supposedly part of the plot to kill Afdal, upon Baylon’s supposed offer of P200,000.
Last Nov. 15, the Regional Trial Court Branch 6 here sent Mamerto to prison for 10 years after he pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of homicide in a plea-bargaining agreement.
According to lawyer Xilex Barroga, Evelyn’s counsel, the lawyers of Baylon sent their counter affidavit through registered mail and electronic mail, but they have yet to receive it.
He added that they were expecting the personal appearance of the suspects due to the supposed gravity of the charge.
Following Evelyn’s complaint, the preliminary investigation was first set on Nov. 15, but was moved to Nov. 29, and then to Dec. 4.
The last postponement was affected by the closure of offices in the province due to the December 3 Magnitude 7.4 earthquake and its series of aftershocks. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)