ANGELES CITY?A local court has rejected the request to bar reporters from the trial of the man accused and suspected of a spate of robbery and killings, mostly of foreigners, in this city.

Mark Dizon, 28, a computer technician and reflexologist, faces five counts of murder and theft following his arrest with the help of an anti-crime group here that received a P100,000 reward for helping in Dizon?s arrest last July 27.

Lawyer Joy Casupanan-Aranas, clerk of the Regional Trial Court Branch 58, said Dizon asked Judge Philbert Iturralde, presiding judge of the court branch, to bar reporters from his trial.

Dizon faces charges for the robbery and murder of retired US Air Force M/Sgt. Albert Mitchell, 70, former commander of the Veterans of Foreign War Post; Mitchell?s wife, Janet, 53; helpers Isabel Fajardo, 29, and Marissa Prado, 29; and family driver Yulberto Catli.

The five were killed at the Mitchell residence in Hensonville Court Subdivision on July 22.

?The accused knows his rights,? said Aranas. Aranas, however, said the court ?ruled and turned down his request.?

?The judge said the public and media cannot be barred from the hearings as long as there?s no interference in the proceedings,? said Aranas.

Dizon, who was assigned a lawyer from the Public Attorneys? Office, pleaded innocent during his arraignment on Monday.

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and Senior Supt. Danilo Bautista, Angeles police chief, gave the P100,000 cash reward to Reynaldo Malig, the head of the Tropang Crime Watch who convinced Dizon?s father to help police arrest his son.