HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Army Captain Denies Hand in Ilocos Activist’s Slay
But lawyer says alibi is weakest defense

In a counter-affidavit, Army Captain Joel Castro, tagged by no less than the Ilocos Sur police as the gunman in the killing of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) staff member Jose Manegdeg in San Esteban town, Ilocos Sur on Nov. 28, 2005 denied having a hand in the crime and presented an alibi in his defense.

BY ACE ALEGRE
Contributed to Bulatlat

BAGUIO CITY (246 kms. north of Manila) – Army Captain Joel Castro, tagged by no less than the Ilocos Sur police as the gunman in the killing of Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) staff member Jose Manegdeg in San Esteban town, Ilocos Sur on Nov. 28, 2005 denied having a hand in the crime. In a counter-affidavit he recently submitted to the Ilocos Sur prosecutor’s office, Castro said he was in Taguig City, Metro Manila when the killing happened.

But lawyer Randy Kinaud of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), who is representing the Manegdegs in the case against Castro, said the defendant’s alibi alone will not help him much. “Alibi is the weakest defense,” Kinaud said. The case against Castro is further strengthened by the fact that an eyewitness pointed to him as the gunman.

In his counter-affidavit, Castro also said he is not detailed in the Ilocos Region as earlier alleged by police investigators. He claimed to be assigned at the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City, he said..

Police linked Castro to the 50^th Infantry Battalion based in San Juan town, Ilocos Sur. The 50^th Infantry Battalion’s commanding officer, Col. Harold Cabreros, however denied he knows Capt. Joel Castro.  He even taunted policemen to probe further.

Castro is included in the police's "rogue gallery" in Ilocos Sur. The witness was shown the same gallery by San Esteban policemen and the army captain was clearly identified as Manegdeg's killer.

Task Force Manegdeg of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has a cartographic sketch of the alleged gunman as described by eyewitness. The sketch matches Castro.

After Ilocos Sur police brought out the report that tagged Castro last month, military commanders in the northern provinces denied there is a Captain Castro in the roster of officers and men under any of the field commands of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division. The area of responsibility of the 5^th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army covers the northern Luzon provinces including Ilocos Sur.Contributed to Bulatlat

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