Witness surfaces to pin down woman, brother in retired military man’s murder

MANILA, Philippines—Conscience drove a witness to a murder to tell police who killed a retired military man in San Juan City almost two months ago, police said Monday.

Police on Friday filed murder charges against a woman and her brother after authorities said they were positively identified by a witness as the ones who shot dead the woman’s husband, a retired military man.

Senior Supt. Joselito Daniel, the city’s chief of police, tagged Rotelia Garcia Aldea and her brother Jose Isederio as suspects in the death of Aldea’s husband, Aniceto, on July 17.

Daniel said the Aldeas were on board a taxi plying F. Manalo St. in their neighborhood Barangay (village) Batis when the attack on the victim took place.

The female Aldea reported to the authorities that an armed man suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and blocked the vehicle.

She said Aniceto managed to get off the taxi and run a few steps for fear of his life.

He was, however, shot at the back by the gunman, and was killed, she said.

According to her, the gunman forcibly took away from the couple a bag with cash amounting to P100,000 before he fled.

The unidentified witness, who recently surfaced due to “a bothered conscience,” however, said that he heard the female Aldea tell the gunman, “Hide this bag already (Itago mo na itong bag)” during the attack.

“And then there was the question, why would a husband leave his wife during an attack?” Daniel said.

The witness, who lived in the area and knew the people there, also identified the gunman as Isederio, Daniel said.

Asked what the motive was for the attack, the police said the witness had mentioned that the Aldeas had had a fight over money prior to the attack.

The two suspects remain at large.