Businesswoman, son linked to hotelier King’s slay deny role in murder

By: Nancy C. Carvajal - 10 years ago

The National Bureau of Investigation. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Two persons linked to the murder of hotelier Richard King have submitted their statements to the National Bureau of Investigation and denied their involvement in the death of the businessman, their lawyer Raji Mendoza said on Tuesday.

President Benigno Aquino III vowed in his State of the Nation Address last Monday, to ensure that police solve all high-profile crimes that happened in recent months.

Mendoza, who acted as counsel of Helen Sy Chua and her son Wilbert said the appearance of his clients at the NBI-Death Investigation Unit was in compliance with the subpoena issued by the NBI- Davao City in connection with the death of King who was shot and killed while he was eating with his employees and distributors inside the Vital C Building on Lacson Street, Davao City, last June 12.

The lawyer also said that no charges had been filed against his clients and it was not clear why they were called by the NBI in connection with the death of the businessman.

“We do not know why they were asked to appear. But just the same, they want to clear their names and will cooperate in the investigation,’’ Mendoza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday.

Police investigators in Southern Mindanao earlier identified Chua as a person of interest in investigation of the death of King, based on text messages found in the four phones of the late businessmen and the phones of his secretary.

Mendoza said Chua appeared before the NBI-DIU in Manila, instead of appearing before the provincial agents, because of her medical condition.

“Mrs. Chua had been diagnosed as suffering from brain tumor and is undergoing radiation treatment. She is not in the right condition to travel,’’ Mendoza said.

In her statement (a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer), Chua denied having had an intimate relationship with King and said “King had many girlfriends and had an on-going relationship for 25 years until at the time of his death.’’

She added that she had no motive to harm King because apart from the fact that they were business partners for years, “they were friends and classmates since kindergarten.’’

“I was confined at the hospital because I was diagnosed to have been suffering from brain tumors and I’m currently receiving radiation treatment,’’ Chua said in her statement.

In the same statement, she said that contrary to an earlier report, the Vital C company—a distributor of vitamin supplements—was not losing money.

King was president and chief executive officer of Vital C Health products where Chua is a partner.

“The company was put up five years ago and is not losing money. Richard is a very good businessman,’’ Chua said.

She identified the company’s two other partners as Manuel Torejon and Wilbert Loa, who, according to Chua, were both close to the slain businessman.

Chua, who was wheelchair-bound when she appeared before the NBI-DIU also said that at the time King was shot and killed, she was confined at the St Luke’s hospital in Quezon City.

Wilbert Chua, meanwhile, told the INQUIRER, he had agreed to undergo a polygraph test and had given his statement to the NBI agents in Davao where he denied allegations that he was the mastermind of the killing of King because of his recent argument with the businessman over the alleged mismanagement of the Crown Regency Resorts in Boracay.

King was also the head of the Boracay Multiple Developers Inc. where Wilbert is a supplier of hollow blocks.

“We had been cooperating with investigators, I did not hesitate to take the lie detector test because we also want to know who the mastermind (of the killing was) because the victim was close to us apart from the fact that he was a business partner,’’ Wilbert told the INQUIRER.

Wilbert also said that he has not received a copy of the results of the polygraph test.

Police earlier arrested Supt. Leonardo Felonia, Davao City intelligence head, after he was identified by the alleged gunman, Paul Dave Labang and his alleged cohorts, siblings Rommel and Rodel dela Cerna, as the one who ordered the businessman’s killing.

Police have filed a murder case against Felonia and he is now under restrictive custody at the Philippine National Police’s headquarters at Camp Crame.