Story: ELMER RECUERDO
Photos: INTERNET
TACLOBAN CITY – The murder of a village councilor that happened in January 25, 2016 is now the center of a legal tussle that puts two opposing Leyte congressional candidates in a tricky situation.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is asking the Department of Justice to take "appropriate action" based on its records of investigation against former Leyte Third District Rep. Vicente "Ching" Veloso and five others for murder.
In a letter to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last 22 January, PLt. Col. Jessie Misal, CIDG's deputy chief of Major Crimes Investigation Unit, tagged as respondents of a murder case Veloso, Nicolas Banez, William Louse Languido, Richan Dejon Pernis, Edwin Comendador and Edwin Mulle.
The case pertains to the killing of then barangay councilor Anthony Nuñez, who was shot dead last January 25, 2016 inside a cockpit in Tabango, Leyte by an unknown gunman.
Banez, Comendador and Mulle are already dead; Languido is detained at the Biliran Provincial Jail; and Pernis is at the custody of CIDG since his arrest last December 7.
Photos: INTERNET
TACLOBAN CITY – The murder of a village councilor that happened in January 25, 2016 is now the center of a legal tussle that puts two opposing Leyte congressional candidates in a tricky situation.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is asking the Department of Justice to take "appropriate action" based on its records of investigation against former Leyte Third District Rep. Vicente "Ching" Veloso and five others for murder.
In a letter to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla last 22 January, PLt. Col. Jessie Misal, CIDG's deputy chief of Major Crimes Investigation Unit, tagged as respondents of a murder case Veloso, Nicolas Banez, William Louse Languido, Richan Dejon Pernis, Edwin Comendador and Edwin Mulle.
The case pertains to the killing of then barangay councilor Anthony Nuñez, who was shot dead last January 25, 2016 inside a cockpit in Tabango, Leyte by an unknown gunman.
Banez, Comendador and Mulle are already dead; Languido is detained at the Biliran Provincial Jail; and Pernis is at the custody of CIDG since his arrest last December 7.
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Veloso is running for congressman in Leyte's Fourth district against incumbent Rep. Richard Gomez, who is also implicated in the same murder case.
Veloso dismissed the letter saying it does not meet the criteria of an actual criminal complaint. "This is not a criminal complaint yet. This is a plain letter. A complaint must be sufficient in form and in substance," says Veloso, who is a former justice of the Court of Appeals.
To recall, a barangay captain filed cases of conspiracy for grave coercion and grave threat against Gomez before the provincial prosecutor's office last October 23, 2024 for allegedly conspiring to implicate Veloso in Nuñez' murder.
Also named respondents were Tabango Mayor Bernard Jonathan Remandaman, lawyer Rem Beryl Veloso, CIDG regional chief Col. Arwin Tadeo, Police Executive Master Sergeant Samson Picardal, Pat. Fernand Songalia and eight other John Does.
The cases were filed by Albert Morilla, a barangay captain Brgy. Manlawaan in Tabango, Leyte, through a special power of attorney issued by the real complainant Darlito Sevilla, a brother of Nuñez.
Veloso dismissed the letter saying it does not meet the criteria of an actual criminal complaint. "This is not a criminal complaint yet. This is a plain letter. A complaint must be sufficient in form and in substance," says Veloso, who is a former justice of the Court of Appeals.
To recall, a barangay captain filed cases of conspiracy for grave coercion and grave threat against Gomez before the provincial prosecutor's office last October 23, 2024 for allegedly conspiring to implicate Veloso in Nuñez' murder.
Also named respondents were Tabango Mayor Bernard Jonathan Remandaman, lawyer Rem Beryl Veloso, CIDG regional chief Col. Arwin Tadeo, Police Executive Master Sergeant Samson Picardal, Pat. Fernand Songalia and eight other John Does.
The cases were filed by Albert Morilla, a barangay captain Brgy. Manlawaan in Tabango, Leyte, through a special power of attorney issued by the real complainant Darlito Sevilla, a brother of Nuñez.
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In his complaint affidavit, Morilla said Sevilla sought for his assistance after CIDG operatives from Ormoc and Tacloban visited him thrice last September where he was coerced and intimidated to execute a sworn affidavit to implicate Veloso to be the mastermind in the 2016 killing of Nuñez' brother.
Nuñez' daughter, Aida Nuñez, also told Morilla that she was told to meet Remandaban twice last August and September where the mayor allegedly offered her P1 million and P5 million respectively in exchange of a sworn affidavit that will implicate Veloso to the killing. Remandaban allegedly told her that Gomez will pay the amount and will take care of her family.
The Leyte Provincial Prosecutor's Office has already endorsed the complaint against Gomez and others to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas.
"What we have now before the office of the ombudsman is an ongoing live criminal case against Richard Gomez," Veloso said.(CJ/jmm/ER)
Nuñez' daughter, Aida Nuñez, also told Morilla that she was told to meet Remandaban twice last August and September where the mayor allegedly offered her P1 million and P5 million respectively in exchange of a sworn affidavit that will implicate Veloso to the killing. Remandaban allegedly told her that Gomez will pay the amount and will take care of her family.
The Leyte Provincial Prosecutor's Office has already endorsed the complaint against Gomez and others to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas.
"What we have now before the office of the ombudsman is an ongoing live criminal case against Richard Gomez," Veloso said.(CJ/jmm/ER)
