Family of woman, whose body was chopped up, cries for justice
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The family of the late Angelie Lopez Kintanar, whose body parts were cut up and thrown in areas in Cebu and Mandaue cities, are crying for justice and progress on the case that they filed last February against the suspect before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office.
READ: Body of woman with missing head, hands, and feet, found in Talamban river
Four months after they confirmed the identity of the body as that of Angelie’s and two months after they filed the case against the suspect, Analou Lopez, sister of the victim, is appealing for a faster pace of the investigation of the case.
Analou said that the family members were worried because the suspect they tagged as responsible for the brutal killing of her sister came from a prominent family.
She also said that the suspect had already filed countercharges against her, but she had not yet received a copy of the case, which was reportedly mailed to her.
“Wa baya tay hold diha. Mahadlok sad mi ba nga ang among kontra kay prominent og kaliwat,” Analou said.
(We don’t have any hold on that [the case]. We also are afraid because our enemy is from a prominent family.)
“Mana sya og counter unya gi mail daw sa akoa nga address kay ako may complainant nya wa paman koy nareceive hangtod karon,” Analou said.
(The suspect already filed countercharges and mailed it to my address, but I have not yet received the complaint until now.)
Annalou, during a phone interview with reporters, said that the city prosecutor received their findings last February 2021 but until now, she said they did not receive any resolution or any update of the preliminary hearing.
“Wala mi ka estorya og prosecutor. Ang kaso naa sa prosecutor pero wa pa mi nagka atubang gyud sukad. Igo ra mi gireceive didto pag February, gireceive ang amoang findings ngadto,” Analou said.
(We had not spoken with the prosecutor. The case is with the prosecutor but we still have not met since. We were just received last February, they received our findings.)
“Unya dayon, hangtod karon, wala pa mi preliminary hearing. Ang amo gibuhat is sige ra mig adto sa prosecutor, mu follow up ko every now and then kung naa na bay resolution, unya wala pa man daw,” she said.
(Since then until now, we still had no preliminary hearing. So what we did we visit the prosecutor’s office to follow up every now and then if there is already a resolution, but there is none yet.)
Case filed, preliminary investigation ongoing
However, Lawyer Mary Francis Daquipil, Mandaue City prosecutor, said in a phone interview today, May 17, that the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) had already filed a case last February against the suspect.
Daquipil said that there was only one case filed against a single suspect.
“The preliminary investigation was ongoing and if they resolve that the case is for filing in court or if they found probable cause then a warrant of arrest will be issued by the court,” she said.Daquipil said that the preliminary investigation would run from 60 days to 90 days after the assigned prosecutor would receive the case.
How family found out body was Angelie’s
Analou also said that they confirmed last January 2021 the identity of the woman, whose body was cut into many parts, as that of her sister.
This was after the results of their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test and dental examination were released.
She said that last December 2020, the family reported a missing person at the Subangdaku Police Station in Mandaue City.
They were then forwarded to the Talamban Police Station after reports of a chopped up body of a woman was found there.
“Pagkakita pa lang daan sa picture, makaingon jod nga igsuon. Pero dili ra man atoang feeling ang basehan ana nga atoa na nga igsuon. Mu undergo pa man gyud ta og mga medical. Gikuhaan og sa dental niya ug DNA sa akong duha ka igsuon. Confirmed 100 percent,” Analou said.
(When I saw the picture of the chopped up body, I can already tell that it was my sister. But we could not just based the identity of the chopped up body as my sister on my feelings and we haeve to undergo a medical exam. A dental part of my sister was taken while the DNA of my two brothers were taken. The results were confirmed 100 percent.)
Analou and her family again called for justice for the brutal death of her sister.
She said that their last contact with Angelie was on October 18, 2020 and her chopped up body was found inside a black garbage bag six days later in Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Talamban in Cebu City.
Analou said that she was hoping that the prosecutor would find probable cause and elevate the case to the courts.
Police on case
Police Brigadier General Ronnie Montejo, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) director, for his part, said that the assigned police already filed the necessary charges against the suspect.
Montejo requested to the family to give them more time as they also await for the issuance of a warrant of arrest.
Montejo assured the family that they would be doing their part for the progress of the case.
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