Reynaldo Esmeralda
Charges for attempted murder have been filed in the Manila Regional Trial Court against 11 people, including a businessman already detained for graft-tainted dealings with the police, for the 2012 ambush of then National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Reynaldo Esmeralda.
Named respondents were alleged mastermind Tyrone Ong, Ronnie Ong, retired police officer Perfecto Villanueva, alleged gunman Teodoro Abendaño, Gerry Farillon, Jose Maglalang and lookouts Aljun and Alvin Monticlaros, Ramoso Ramos, Ricky Dacillo and Alfredo Compoc.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), which conducted the preliminary investigation, earlier dropped former NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula and Tyrone Ong’s driver, Gino Eustaquio, from the case for lack of probable cause.
Ong was ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan in August 2013 on graft and malversation charges for the P385-million “ghost” repairs and maintenance of the V-150 armored vehicles of the Philippine National Police in 2007. He is also known as a business partner of Cedric Lee who is accused of mauling comedian-host Vhong Navarro in January.
Gatdula was earlier accused of ordering the hit on Esmeralda in connection with the DOJ case against Gatdula linking him and other NBI agents to kidnapping and extortion activities against Japanese national Noriyo Ohara in 2011.
In January 2012, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima removed Gatdula as NBI chief in view of the Ohara case.
In dismissing the charges against Gatdula in connection with the Esmeralda ambush, the DOJ panel noted that “there is no showing that he had performed any overt act in pursuance or furtherance of the conspiracy.”
According to the DOJ, there were two reasons given by the respondents as to why Esmeralda was ordered killed—he was making it impossible for the NBI to pay Ong, who was a service provider of NBI clearances, and because of a land feud.
Esmeralda and his brother, PO3 Nilo Esmeralda, were wounded in the ambush on the night of Feb. 21, 2012, when two men on a motorcycle fired at their vehicle near Lucban Bridge on Apacible Street in Paco, Manila.
Abendaño was later identified as the gunman while Dacillo was tagged the driver of the motorcycle.
Magtanggol Gatdula
In their statements, Abendaño, Villanueva, Ramos, Aljun and Alvin Monticlaros, Maglalang and Compoc gave detailed accounts of their participation in the crime, the DOJ panel of prosecutors said in a resolution approving the filing of criminal charges.
The statements consistently showed that they planned the commission of the crime and pointed to the participation of Tyrone and Ronnie Ong, Farillon and Dacillo, the resolution added.
According to the investigation, Ronnie Ong organized the group while Tyrone Ong gave P200,000 to finance the plot.
Tyrone Ong has denied participation in the crime.
Bail was set at P120,000 for each respondent.