Written by Kit Bagaipo - The Provincial Prosecutor's Office (PPO) recently dismissed the charges of rape with homicide against a witness in the celebrated Vivian Dumaluan case in Panglao Island.
In a terse one-page order, the panel of prosecutors dismissed the case filed against George Galo alias Bagobo. The order was signed by assistant provincial prosecutors Ponciano Uy, Eric Ucat, Margie Tan-Alvaro and Tito Apura.
"After conducting an ex-parte study of the complaint as well as the other supposed supporting documents, pursuant to Sec. 3, Rule 112 of the 200 Rules of Criminal Procedure, we find no competent appreciable shred of evidence which pinpoints that respondent was the one who raped and killed Vivian Dumaluan," the order said.
A separate case for rape with homicide was earlier filed against former Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan, his brother, Engr. Teofredo "Pingmay" Dumaluan, Narciso "Isot" Maghamil and Romeo "Loloy" Lapinig.
The case against the four was filed on the basis of the affidavit executed by witness Alex Dasco, a self-confessed participant in the case.
Dasco alleged that it was the former mayor who presided over the meeting to plan the rape and murder and blame it on his political opponents and generate sympathy for his mayoralty bid in the 2004 elections.
According to Dasco, who claimed he was Dumaluan's driver in the 2004 election campaign, he held the hands of the victim while she was raped first by Pingmay, then Lapinig and finally Maghamil.
He also alleged that the former mayor also presided over the cover-up operations to mislead investigators.
Dasco stated in his affidavit that Dumaluan wanted him to sign an affidavit pointing to Galo, a certain Randy Buntag and the caretaker of the resort owned by former Sen. Raul Roco as the ones responsible for the crime. - The Bohol Chronicle
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