The son of slain Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Henry Arles yesterday challenged Negros Occidental Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. to present Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez to the National Bureau of Investigation so he can submit himself for interrogation to clear his name.

“He (John Paul Alvarez) should defend himself in the eyes of the public and not let his father and his younger sister defend him,” Philip Arles said.

The mayor should show the people of Ilog that he can truly be their leader by giving them an explanation, which they rightfully deserve, the judge's son added.

Philip, his sister Ma. Estelita “Ria” Arles , and uncle Frank Britanico, held a press conference at the Negros Press Club in Bacolod yesterday, to present proof that the three Revolutionary Proletarian Army men tagged in the judge's murder were not illegally detained and tortured into confessing to the crime, as claimed by their relatives.

The judge was shot dead in Barangay Manalad, Ilog, at about 6:30 p.m. on April 24 while he was driving home.

The National Bureau of Investigation on July 27 filed murder charges before the Department of Justice against Mayor Alvarez, Emmanuel “Eman” Medez – an administrative aide 1 of the Ilog government, and RPA-ABB members Marvin Salve and Gerald Gallano Tabujara, who are at-large, and Jessie Gedacan Daguia, Alejandro Castillo Capunong and Eddie Magno Fortunado, who are now under NBI custody in Manila.

“Mayor Alvarez should stop hiding behind his father and the skirt of his sister, if indeed he is a man,” Philip Arles said.

Philip Arles also challenged the RPA-ABB to turn over Salve and Tabujara to the NBI or any law enforcement agency if they are sincere in saying that they want justice and the truth to prevail.

They have information that Salve and Tabujara are in the custody of the RPA-ABB, he said.

He also called on Mayor Alvarez to bring to the NBI, Medez, who, they were informed, has been hiding since Saturday.

The vice governor, on the other hand, said he will not present his son to the NBI, adding he was informed that the three RPA-ABB men who had earlier confessed to being part of the murder of the judge have already retracted their statements.

BULLET PROOF VESTS

Philip Arles and Britanico appeared before the media in bullet proof vests and wearing sunglasses. Britanico, who also wore a helmet, said they were in such outfits to dramatize the dangerous peace and order situation in the sixth district that, he said, he hopes reaches the attention of President Benigno Aquino and other national officials.

Britanico presented a surveillance video showing Capunong and Daguia, where the latter was heard saying it was not likely that anyone would accept the post as Kabankalan RTC judge because whoever sits in the position could also be killed.

Britanico also presented videos of media interviews with Daguia, Capunong and Fortunado to prove that they were not tortured into admitting their participation in the murder.

The three had sought voluntary protective custody from the NBI and were immediately brought to Manila to ensure their safety, Britanico said.

Britanico said their case is not only supported by what the three said and the video coverage, but by testimonies of other witnesses they have not brought out yet.

On Tuesday, relatives of the three RPA-ABB men said they were illegally detained and tortured into admitting participation in the Arles murder.

The only hope for the three is to turn state witness so they can be freed sooner, or they will face the full penalty for what they have done, Britanico said.

They were fooled once by agreeing to be paid to kill the judge, if they agree now to be paid not to tell the truth, they will face the consequences of the full force of the law, he said.

Their relatives should not allow themselves to be used by the RPA-ABB or the mastermind to influence the three to deny participation in the crime, because they will only be ensuring that they will be jailed for a long time as there is proof of their participation in the crime, Britanico said.

GUNMAN WEPT

Ria Arles said her father served as a judge with sincerity and faith in God and did not deserve to be murdered.

She said the investigation into her father's murder has been very painful to her.

She said she wept when she listened to Fortunado, Capunong and Daguia as they separately told her how they planned and murdered her father.

Fortunado said they conducted surveillance on her father in the first week of April but he was not at the RTC in Kabankalan, she said. “He was not in Kabankalan then because I came home to Negros and we were visiting 14 churches as we always do on Holy Week,” she said.

“Maybe, it was God's will for me to come home on Holy Week so the life of my father could be extended a little longer and I could spend time with him before he was taken away,” she said.

The most painful for her was when Daguia described to her how he shot her father, she said.

Ria said she wept so hard and Daguia cried, too, and she could see it was due to guilt.

“I told him my father was my life and he was a very, very good man, so he was probably conscience-stricken to learn that he killed a man who was loved by his family,” she said.

Britancio said they have a video of Ria and Daguia's conversation, where the latter also wept.*CPG

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