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Radio blocktimer acquitted of Davao radioman’s killing


MANILA, Philippines — A Davao court has acquitted a radio blocktimer linked to the murder of broadcaster Ferdinand “Batman" Lintuan in Davao City in December 2007. Online news site Mindanao Daily Mirror (www.dailymirror.ph) reported Saturday that Davao Judge George Omelio found inconsistencies in a witness’ testimony against Leonilo Larosa. “The abundance of inconsistencies in the testimony of (the witness) does not make him a trustworthy witness, inasmuch as the inconsistencies are not merely trifling but significant ones," the judge said. In his decision, Omelio said he found the testimony of the teenage witness “irreconcilable, contradictory, and incompatible with his statements on other occasions" concerning the murder. He ruled that the witness’ inconsistencies “made him ridiculous and unbelievable." Also, the court noted that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deliberately omitted the testimony of Arlene Sapero Napala, the traffic/accounting staff of radio dxGO. Napala had said a threat Larosa had made on Lintuan was more of a joke than anything else because the victim and the accused had already patched up their differences. The teenage witness had identified Larosa in an NBI lineup, prompting authorities to charge him with Lintuan’s murder. Lintuan was shot dead on December 24, 2007 inside his car as he was leaving radio station dxGO Aksyon Radyo where he was a block-time commentator. One of the inconsistencies cited by the court was the witness’ description of the gunman as having a mole on his upper lip or cheek. But Omelio said this was “vague and inconsistent" since Larosa does not have a mole in his cheek or upper lip. A cartographic sketch based on the description given by the witness also did not match Larosa’s features. “The nose bridge of the gunman is long; the eyebrows are thick; the lips are small; the mustache is fine; and the eyes of the gunman are small. All minutest descriptions of the gunman are opposite to the description of the accused," the court said. Also, the witness told the court that Lintuan’s killer had a deformed right toe, but Larosa does not have a deformed toe. “(The witness) testified that (the) accused still had a mole during his detention at the NBI, and presumably with a deformed toe, but unfortunately the NBI miserably failed to establish these significant identifying marks despite the abundance of time and capability during the lineup," the court said. - GMANews.TV
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