Althea Altamirano PHOTO BY MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
“I want her to hang for what she did.”
This was the sentiment expressed in between sobs by the mother of part-time model Julie Ann Rodelas as she waited for one of the suspects in her daughter’s killing, Althea Altamirano, to be arraigned Monday in a Quezon City court.
But at the same time, Luz Rodelas, who was with two other daughters, expressed satisfaction over the fact that there has been progress in Julie Ann’s case.
“I am happy that there will be justice for my daughter’s death,” she said although she added that two of Julie Ann’s killers have yet to be caught.
Defense lawyers later tried to have the arraignment deferred, citing the alleged illegal arrest of their clients but this was set aside by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 223 Judge Caridad Lutero.
Altamirano and another suspect, her boyfriend Ferdinand Quiambao Jr., refused to enter a plea, prompting the court to enter a “not guilty” plea in their behalf.
A third accused, Jaymar Waradji, who has offered to turn state witness, promptly pleaded not guilty.
The three are accused of conspiring to kill Julie Ann after
Altamirano, the victim’s friend, complained to Quiambao that the former had been spreading rumors about her.
Quiambao, who offered to teach Julie Ann a lesson, kidnapped the victim with the help of Waradji and two other men. They took her to a safe house in Quezon City where the two men—Efren Talib and his cohort identified only as Aldos—raped her.
Waradji told the police that Quiambao and the two men later left the safe house with the victim. They later returned without her and Julie Ann’s body was found dumped on a street in Cubao, Quezon City.
Before the arraignment, the defense lawyers sought a deferment, saying they planned to move to quash the information against Altamirano and Quiambao on the grounds that there was no probable cause to charge them since their arrest was illegal.
They argued that this meant that the court had no jurisdiction over their clients.
Arguments quashed
But Lutero set aside their arguments. “There is already a finding of probable cause [by the city prosecutor]. The arraignment will not stop you from filing the motion [to quash the information against your clients],” the judge told them.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor asked that Waradji remain in the custody of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) in Camp Karingal instead of being transferred to the Quezon City jail with Altamirano and Quiambao.
“It would be very awkward if he [Waradji] will be with his other coaccused when he will be testifying against them,” Assistant City Prosecutor John Patrick Corpuz told the judge.
While the lawyers for Altamirano and Quiambao tried to block the move for being premature since there was no motion filed to discharge Waradji as a witness yet, Lutero granted the manifestation and pointed out that he would remain in detention anyway.
“For prudence, he will stay with CIDU with a warning to detention officers that he should not be allowed to leave his cell,” the judge said.
Altamirano and Quiambao, on the other hand, are set to be transferred to the Quezon City jail by virtue of the commitment order issued by Lutero.
Originally posted: 9:39 pm | Monday, November 19th, 2012