Kin of ‘road accident’ victim insist on murder conspiracy

REBLORA in his last photo taken before his death. Contributed Photo

THE FAMILY of a car enthusiast, whose death early this year was reported as a road accident, is insisting he was the victim of a conspiracy allegedly involving his own friends.

A counsel for the family of Jay Ryan Reblora has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to approve the filing of a murder complaint, rather than a lighter case of homicide, against Jose Lito Monreal II, the man who was driving Reblora’s car when it hit and killed the owner past midnight of Jan. 25 in Las Piñas City.

The Rebloras also want eight more alleged conspirators charged, namely Albert Gerard Goco, Arthur Emil Guillen, John Daniel Ocampo, Ernest Lyle Lucido, Rocelino Danan, Philippe Michael Granada, Bea Labilles, Luisa Ysza de Real and Eden Manlapaz, plus several John and Jane Does.

The victim and the respondents formed a group of car aficionados in Las Piñas known as the BNB (Built Not Bought), according to Rodeo Nuñez Jr., the lawyer for the Rebloras. On the night of the incident, they were gathered on Plaza de Venicia Street, Barangay Talon Dos, in front of the house of Lucido who was then celebrating his birthday.

In their affidavits, the respondents said the death of the 30-year-old Reblora was an accident, maintaining that he “suddenly jumped” in the path of the oncoming car driven by Monreal. The vehicle was Reblora’s Toyota Corolla, which had been modified to run on a 5.2 turbo-charged engine.

Case records showed that the victim sustained fractures on the skull, arms and legs, as well as a laceration on a knee.  The findings were mainly based on the report and photos submitted by the emergency responders that arrived at the scene.

But the victim’s family found something odd: The photos showed that Reblora died wearing only his shirt and underwear.

The petition offered an explanation why Reblora was found by the responders in that condition.

“Jay may have been bullied and the (respondents) may have grabbed his board shorts and underwear,” it said. “(They) held him and forced the  shorts off his body (while) his briefs were stretched and deformed. Then they took his car keys and rode off. Jay, now naked and embarrassed, may have fought back or tried to give chase and recover his shorts in the middle of the street, or he may have been pushed… and hit by his speeding car driven by Monreal.”

The petition also noted that there were no “skid marks” at the site to indicate that Monreal suddenly stepped on the brakes to avoid hitting the victim. The family took this as a sign that the car “was driven intentionally forward at a high speed.”

Brother’s statement

The petition also quoted the victim’s brother John as saying that Reblora’s other clothes—his sweater, shorts and socks—were recovered near the “point of collision, intact and without any tear despite the extreme damage to the car and Jay’s injuries.”

“There are certain facts, circumstances and events that I discovered after I filed my sworn statement on Jan. 26 (that) led me to believe that the crime committed against my brother is murder and not merely homicide, and (that) there are other persons involved in the conspiracy,” according to John.

The victim’s cell phone was also found intact and was even used by respondent De Real to call Reblora’s girlfriend, Jefferjane Rufo, about what happened, the petition noted. His money clip was also found without any damage or scratches.

The Reblora family turned to the DOJ after the Las Piñas City prosecutor’s office dismissed their earlier, similar petition to upgrade the complaint against Monreal from homicide to murder and to include the other respondents in the charge sheet.

‘Deliberately hit’

In an Inquirer interview last week, Nuñez drew attention to the resolution penned by Assistant City Prosecutor Michaela Matammu-Sion. The lawyer  quoted a passage that read: “The respondent (Monreal) was test-driving the vehicle belonging to victim’s father and the former was on his second round when he deliberately hit and bumped the victim.”

Noting the word “deliberately,” Nuñez said “the elements for murder were there but still the charge recommended was homicide.”

The family’s motion for reconsideration was also denied by Assistant City Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe Pacamara, who said “the contention that there was treachery on the part of the respondents cannot be sustained.”

“Mere allegations are not equivalent to proof. There must be some kind of tangible proof to support the said averments,” Pacamara added.

But Reblora’s grieving mother, Cynthia, is not giving up. “All we want is justice for Ryan. The evidence we have gathered and presented in court showed there was a conspiracy to kill him,” she told the Inquirer.

As requested by the family, Monreal’s arraignment for homicide in the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court has been deferred pending the DOJ resolution on their petition for review.