Failon, 5 others slapped with obstruction of justice charges
04/17/2009 | 12:08 AM
MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City Police on Thursday night finally filed obstruction of justice charges against ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon (Teodoro Etong) and five others.
Superintendent Franklin Mabanag, chief of the Quezon City Police District criminal investigation unit, said Failon’s house helpers Pacifico Apacible, Carlota Morbos, Wilfreda Bollester and Glen Polan were charged for cleaning the crime scene where the newscaster’s wife Trinidad allegedly shot herself last Wednesday.
The newscaster’s sister-in-law, Pamela Arteche, was included as co-accused because she refused to have Trinidad undergo paraffin test.
Failon was charged for his failure to immediately report the incident to police and for "disturbing" the crime scene.
The gun, which was allegedly used in the shooting, passed hands, according to investigators, making it hard for the police to reconstruct the crime scene.
“The firearm was taken by Glen, and it was passed to Ted. All of these were removed from the crime scene so we are hard up in reconstructing how the victim was positioned thereat, including the place of the slugs and the empty shells," said Mabanag.
The lawyer of the accused would post bail on Friday.
On Wednesday, investigators were greeted with an already “cleaned up" scene of the incident. The bathroom where Failon's wife was reportedly found turned up spotless. Even the vehicle used to rush her to the hospital had also been scrubbed.
According to police investigators, Failon’s house maids admitted cleaning the bathroom, while Polan removed the blood stains in the Pajero vehicle.
Failon's wife, Trinidad Etong, died at the New Era General Hospital at 8:50 p.m. Thursday.
Trinidad’s remains were brought to a funeral home shortly before midnight Thursday. - GMANews.TV
Superintendent Franklin Mabanag, chief of the Quezon City Police District criminal investigation unit, said Failon’s house helpers Pacifico Apacible, Carlota Morbos, Wilfreda Bollester and Glen Polan were charged for cleaning the crime scene where the newscaster’s wife Trinidad allegedly shot herself last Wednesday.
The newscaster’s sister-in-law, Pamela Arteche, was included as co-accused because she refused to have Trinidad undergo paraffin test.
Failon was charged for his failure to immediately report the incident to police and for "disturbing" the crime scene.
The gun, which was allegedly used in the shooting, passed hands, according to investigators, making it hard for the police to reconstruct the crime scene.
“The firearm was taken by Glen, and it was passed to Ted. All of these were removed from the crime scene so we are hard up in reconstructing how the victim was positioned thereat, including the place of the slugs and the empty shells," said Mabanag.
The lawyer of the accused would post bail on Friday.
On Wednesday, investigators were greeted with an already “cleaned up" scene of the incident. The bathroom where Failon's wife was reportedly found turned up spotless. Even the vehicle used to rush her to the hospital had also been scrubbed.
According to police investigators, Failon’s house maids admitted cleaning the bathroom, while Polan removed the blood stains in the Pajero vehicle.
Failon's wife, Trinidad Etong, died at the New Era General Hospital at 8:50 p.m. Thursday.
Trinidad’s remains were brought to a funeral home shortly before midnight Thursday. - GMANews.TV
