Isles: Arrest of new suspect debunks NBI’s claims against Silawan’s ex-boyfriend

The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas (NBI) presented this CCTV footage on March 18, 2019, which shows a young woman and a man walking together an hour before Christine Lee Silawan was last seen alive. The NBI-7 identified these individuals as Silawan and the 18-year-old suspect. | CDND Photo / Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The arrest of another suspect, a 42-year-old man, who reportedly “confessed” to killing Christine Lee Silawan may be a step closer to prove the innocence of the 18-year-old suspect.

Lawyer Vincent Isles, the counsel of the younger suspect, said the arrest of the new suspect debunked the case theory of the  National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) that arrested his client last March 16.

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“Definitely, it is a welcome development because the case theory of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), with all due respect to them, has been debunked by the PNP themselves,” Isles said in a phone interview with CDN Digital.

The NBI-7 arrested Isles’ client, who was then 17 years old, after witnesses allegedly identified him as the person who was last seen with Silawan before she disappeared on the night of March 10.

Silawan was found dead at a vacant lot in Barangay Bankal in Lapu-Lapu City the following morning.

The NBI also presented closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages, which supposedly showed the victim walking with Isles’ client.

“They [NBI] have always said that [my client] was the one in the CCTV and then now, here comes this new guy and I’ve heard there was even an admission that he was the one in the CCTV. The PNP has witnesses as well who pointed at him as the one in the CCTV,” Isles said.

However, Isles said they cannot be certain yet if the circumstances are in their favor until they see the affidavit of the new suspect.

“Di gyud ta kaingon ana kay wa man ta kahibaw kung unsay gi-undergo ana niya karon ug unsay gipang-ingon aning tawhana,” Isles said.

(We cannot be sure if his statement would be favorable to my client because we do not know yet what he is undergoing and what he has already told the police.)

“We will just wait and see what happens next because they might still say that more than one person did the crime and they might still drag my client into the case,” Isles added.

At present, Isles’ client is under the protective custody of the Lapu-Lapu City Social Welfare and Development Office’s Home Care Center. / celr