2 convicted for killing of radioman

A REGIONAL trial court has convicted two men for the 2008 killing of a broadcaster in Capiz province.

Judge Ignacio Alajar of the Regional Trial Court Branch 16 in the capital of Roxas City found Kristian Tan and Joenel Lastimoso guilty of homicide for the death of Martin Roxas in August 2008 and sentenced them to 11-19 years in prison. The two were ordered to pay Roxas’ family P275,000 in damages.

“From the actuation of the accused before, during and after the commission of the crime, it was clearly established that both conspired to take the life of the victim Martin Roxas,” Alajar said in his decision on March 22.

Roxas, then 32, was program director of local radio station dyVR operated by Radio Mindanao Network. He also hosted the station’s noontime program, “Targetanay sa Udto.”

On Aug. 7, 2008, Roxas was driving a motorcycle from the radio station when two persons on another motorcycle shot and killed him on Bayot Drive in Roxas.

The court found Tan and Lastimoso guilty of homicide, instead of the original charge of murder, due to lack of qualifying circumstance to establish treachery.

Police arrested the two shortly after the shooting when they failed to stop at a checkpoint in the neighboring town of Ivisan.

They denied killing Roxas, saying they were not in the crime scene during the attack. They presented witnesses to support their claim.

However, the court gave credence to the statements of prosecution witnesses, especially the testimony of Ivan Ponciano, a waiter of a restaurant near the crime scene, who identified Tan and Lastimoso as the men who attacked Roxas.

Tan was identified as the gunman while Lastimoso drove their motorcycle.