From mastermind to state witness?

Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz yesterday said they will coordinate with the City Prosecutor’s Office on the possibility of making Ruben Evangelista a state witness in the brutal killing of two house helpers at Villa Angela Subdivision in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, last year.

De la Paz said that the Department of Justice, through the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s office, will evaluate if Evangelista could qualify as witness against his cohorts, Jestoni Carlo del Prado, alias “Biboy Simon”, and his cousin Jesus Niepes, alias “Panot”, both 24, and residents of Brgy. 35, Bacolod City.

Evangelista, who was tagged as mastermind in the killing of Joyce Boncaya, 17, and Keen Malunes, 16, of Brgy. Manghanoy, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and the robbery at the house of their employer Aleph Esparagoza on March 20, was arrested by the Manapla police at his residence in Brgy. Purisima on Tuesday.

This was after Bacolod Regional Trial Court Judge Anita Guanzon-Chua issued him arrest warrant for the crime of robbery with multiple homicide and denied him bail.

De la Paz added that if the DOJ found Evangelista less guilty in the crime, he will become a state witness, but if not, he will remain as a suspect.

Evangelista will be presented in court and issued a commitment order so he could be transferred to the Bacolod City Bureau of Jail management and Penology.

The bloodied bodies of Boncaya and Malunes were found by brother-in-law of their employer at their room at about 11 a.m. on March 20, 2011 when he returned from Sunday mass.

Almost six months later, suspects del Prado and Niepes were apprehended for illegal possession of firearms and robbery.

The two named Evangelista, who used to work for the Esparagozas, as the mastermind of the crime.*APN

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