Suspect in Albay journalist slay faces homicide raps

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LEGAZPI CITY–After failing to show probable cause to file murder charges, government prosecutors on Tuesday has recommended the filing of homicide case against the alleged killer of an Albay journalist here.

Celso Amo, correspondent of the Philippine Star, was killed after he had an argument with suspect Adam Johnson Abanes in Daraga town in Albay on Sunday morning.

According to police, the witnesses claimed that Abanes wanted to join Amo in a game of basketball but Amo reportedly refused. This drove Abanes to stab the newsman to death.

On Monday afternoon, the municipal police of Daraga filed murder charges against Abanes at the Albay Provincial Prosecutors Office (PPO).

Lawyer Maria Miranda Gojar, assistant prosecutor at the PPO, however, said that after reviewing the case, duty inquest prosecutors recommended that homicide charges be filed to the court, instead of murder.

She said police failed to prove other elements that would warrant the filing of murder charges against the suspect.

Supt. Benito Dipad, chief of the Daraga police, said the downgrading of the charge was due to some legal technicalities that the prosecutors have observed during the inquest.

He said that prosecutors, during the case review, found that the police, despite a written affidavit, was not able to present a key witness.

Dipad said he would immediately get in touch with a key witness, who was willing to appear to the inquest proceeding and cooperate with the authorities.

He said a supplemental affidavit would also be submitted for the case to be elevated to murder. /jpv