“I was tortured.”
This was the declaration of 28-year-old Lyndon Horandoy as he retracted his statement on killing Assistant City Prosecutor Patrick Osorio last Jan. 6, 2009.
Horandoy was teary-eyed while he narrated his experiences under the hands of the policemen.
Horandoy told Cebu Daily News he was forced to sign the extra-judicial confession, which was purportedly made by police to expedite resolution of the nearly three-year-old case.
“Wala man gyud koy kalibutan ana. Napugos ko og angkon (I’m innocent of the allegations. I was just forced to admit of having committed the crime),” he said.
Horandoy was supposed to be arraigned before Regional Trial Court Judge Sylvestre Maamo of Branch 17 yesterday afternoon.
However, Horandoy and his family requested the court to reset the proceedings since the accused hadn’t secured the services of a lawyer.
The Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) reportedly declined to assist Horandoy to avoid conflict of interest.
PAO has been representing Horandoy’s co-accused Allan Sinogat who denied his involvement in the crime.
State lawyers thought Horandoy would admit to the killing of Osorio after he signed a statement confessing his role as one of the two motorcycle-riding men who killed the assistant prosecutor.
However, Horandoy said he would retract his statements in the extra-judicial confession, which was made without the presence of a lawyer.
He said he would enter a plea of “not guilty” during his arraignment, which was moved to Oct. 24.
In a separate interview, Horandoy’s mother Avelina said her son told her everything that happened.
“Nakuyawan kuno siya (Horandoy) kay gihapak man siya og helmet sa dughan sa mga polis. Sakit kuno kaayo (My son got afraid since the police allegedly hit him with a helmet on the chest. He said it was so painful),” Avelina told Cebu Daily News.
“Gipa-angkon sa polis nga siya maoy nagpatay aron kuno mahuman ang kaso (The police allegedly forced him to admit of killing Fiscal Osorio so the case will be over),” she added.
Avelina, a laundry woman, cried because their family couldn’t secure the services of a lawyer.
Lawyer Rodolfo Cabrera, who was representing another party during the court proceedings, gave a P500 bill to Horandoy’s family to help them in processing their requirements for the Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ legal assistance.
In open court, Judge Maamo also advised Horandoy’s family to seek the assistance of local officials in finding a lawyer who shall represent the accused.