The three Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade members facing a complaint for the murder of Judge Henry Arles met with lawyer Ana Marie Palermo at the National Bureau of Investigation jail in Manila and she agreed to no longer represent them, Maribel Dagia Anlap a relative of one of them said yesterday.

Anlap is the niece of Jessie Daguia, 40, of Barangay Tampalon, Kabankalan, who earlier admitted shooting the Kabankalan Regional Trial Court judge three times in Ilog town on April 24, which led to his death.

Daguia, along with Alejandro Capunong, 27, of Barangay Tabu, Ilog, and Eddie Fortunado, 23, also of Barangay Tampalon, had been apprehended by the NBI Bacolod in June and transferred to Manila for “security reasons”.

They were allegedly hired by Ilog Mayor John Paul Alvarez to kill the judge.

Last week lawyer Romeo Subaldo filed motions before two Bacolod Regional Trial Courts asking for the transfer of Daguia and Capunong to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bacolod, but these were opposed by Palermo, who said she was representing the two.

But the relatives of the three detainees insisted that their lawyer was Subaldo, not her.

Palermo said she just doing what Daguia and Capunong, who had sought government protective custody, had asked her to do.

Anlap said that when Palemo met with the three at the NBI jail in Manila Saturday, they stood by their position that they did not want her to represent them and she agreed to withdraw as their counsel.

Palermo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

“The relationship of Atty. Palermo with her clients is between her and her clients. For ethical considerations, we cannot comment on that,” Frank Britanico, brother-in-law of Arles said.

HELP SOUGHT

Anlap said the three RPA-ABB men also gave her a letter Saturday asking for help from the media so they can tell the truth about what has been done to them.

She said they are denying their earlier statements that they had a part in the murder of the judge.

In the letter Saturday, the three said they are been threatened by Philip Arles, son of the judge, and Britanico that if they are released from NBI custody they will be killed.

Anlap also claimed that the Arles family was offering Fortunado P50,000 to turn state witness.

She complained that while the Arles family were free to go to the NBI jail anytime to see the three detained RPA-ABB men it was difficult for their own family to get to see them.

“The situation at NBI jail is not within our control. But it's probably much better than in other jails in the country. Maybe the mastermind and other suspects will confirm it when they are confined there, “ Britanico said.

THREATS DENIED

Britanico denied that he and Philip Arles had threatened to kill the three if they are freed from detention.

What we told them is that without protective custody there is a possibility that they would be killed by the mastermind or members of their organization to silence them from telling the truth about the murder of Arles, Britanico said.

He also denied that they offered P50,000 to Fortunado.

All we offered was that we would agree to their becoming state witnesses, which they had accepted, he said.

The law allows accused persons to turn state witness and that could lead to their exculpation from charges, if they provide testimony vital to the conviction of those accused in a crime, Britanico explained.

He said that if the three chose not to be state witnesses they will face the full penalty of the law for the crime they committed on conviction.*CPG

back to top