1 more suspect tagged in Archival slay

Aside from the four officials of the regional unit of the PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG), another suspect might be included in the charge sheet for the killing lawyer Noel Archival in February.

Cebu City Police Office director, Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, did not name the fifth respondent to the multiple murder and frustrated murder charges to be filed before the prosecutor’s office. He however, insists they have enough evidence against the suspects.

Archival, a known criminal defense lawyer, his aide Edu Miñoza and driver Alejandro Jaime died in an ambush in Dalaguete while on their way to Cebu City from a hearing in Dumaguete City.
Another aide, Paolo Cortes survived the attack.

Gillamac who also heads the task group investigating the case said they are now finalizing documents relative to the filing of the case.

Recently, gunpowder was extracted from the Toyota Vios (GCS-675) which was recovered from the HPG headquarters in barangay Lahug in Cebu City which was the subject of a search warrant served last March 21 by the NBI.

Forensic tests

An empty casing of an M-16 rifle bullet was also found inside the vehicle which reportedly matched the empty shells recovered from the crime scene based on forensic tests conducted by the NBI and the PNP Crime Laboratory.

The NBI confirmed the red Vios sedan as one of the two vehicles that was used during the ambush.

Supt. Romualdo Iglesia, Senior Insp. Joselito Lerion, Senior Insp. Eduardo Mara, and SPO4 Eduardo Galan, all from HPG 7 were the respondents in the search warrant and will also be included in the charge sheet.

Mara who is the deputy chief of HPG-7 welcomes the filing of charges and said he will prove his innocence in court.

Iglesia, on the other hand, declined to give his comment.