Court denies Apduhan’s petition to post bail

“The faith healer from Balamban called “Dios Amahan” by his followers will stay behind bars.

The court denied the application for bail filed by Casiano Apduhan, the alleged cult leader accused of killing 14-year-old Angelo Repuela.

Apduhan was charged with murder along with Zacarias Barquio, whose application for bail was also denied.

The faith healer’s request to  post bail for his human trafficking charges were similarly  rejected.

A third suspect, Victor Fajardo, remains at large.

The order was issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 29 Presiding Judge Ruben Altubar on Monday.

“Without need of elaborating as the case has still to be tried under the regular procedure, the Court is convinced that as far as the evidence presented by the application during the hearing on the application for bail, said elements of the crime of murder are attendant such that the evidence of guilt against both accused Apduhan and Barquio for the crime of murder was strong,” the judge said.

A copy was furnished to the office of Vice Governor Agnes Magpale.

According to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) Supervising Agent Reynaldo Villardon Jr., who was cross-examined by the court last February, the skeletal remains that they dug out of an underground chamber  in Apduhan’s house  in barangay Alpaco, Naga City, was indeed Angelo’s.

Villordon testified that  the parents’ description of the body and of the circumstances  surrounding its interment  matched what the NBI saw when it was dug out.

There  was no other cadaver found in the site.

Apduhan’s motion  to post bail for human trafficking charges was also denied because the court  determined that he had placed Angelo’s parents, 52-year-old Eleuterio and 46-year-old Remegia, under forced servitude.

The Repuela couple worked on the farm of “Dios Amahan,” were convinced they would be saved because Repuela  was believed to be the “savior of the world.”

The criminal  cases are set for pre-trial conference on Aug. 7.

Vice Governor  Magpale, in an interview said she was happy with the court’s ruling.

“I am confident that our case against him is strong,” she said.

Magpale, who co-chairs the Provincial Women’s Council (PWC), took the witness stand to testify against the cult leader earlier this year.

The Repuela couple had sought the help of the vice governor in February of 2014.

Apduhan was also charged with serious illegal detention for confining 33-year-old Emma Nepomuceno in his home for five years.

Nepomuceno’s relatives had requested  help  in locating their “missing” daughter.  Nepomuceno was rescued during a March 2014 raid of Apduhan’s house where the body of Angelo was found.

Magpale said Nepomuceno’s testimony denying that she was held there against her will  may have undermined the case against Apduhan but she is still confident that they will win the case.