Abigail Gino Basas
Nearly eight months after the fatal mauling of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) outside a bar in Quezon City, a court has issued warrants for the arrest of five suspects, all of them college students.
Ordered arrested by Judge Rosanna Fe Romero-Maglaya of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 88 were Mohammad Taher Piti-Ilan, Jameel Benito, Mark Angelo Morata, Cyril Angelo Rada and Earl Bryan Grande.
Nonbailable offense
They face nonbailable charges for the murder of 28-year-old Abigail Gino Basas, a cruise ship photographer who was in the country for a vacation.
Basas and his friends were at a bar on Dr. Lazcano Street in Tomas Morato on Mar. 4 when the victim accidentally bumped Piti-Ilan.
Irked, the suspect and his companions followed Basas as he and his friends left the bar and mauled them.
In an Aug. 8 resolution, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Gibson Araula Jr. said there was sufficient evidence presented before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office to indict the suspects for murder.
“Respondents acted with one another in beating [Basas] that resulted [in] the latter’s death,” he said. “The evidence shows that Pili-Ilan punched the victim when the latter turned his back [on him].”
“[When the victim] fell on the ground, Benito, Rada, Morata and Caliwag all together assaulted and beat [up] Basas… [He] was not given a chance to defend himself,” Araula added.
Except for Benito who did not reply to any subpoena, the other suspects denied the accusations. Only Grande and Morata appeared before the prosecutor during the preliminary investigation.
Basas’ dad relieved, hopeful
In an interview with the Inquirer on Thursday, Basas’ father, Agapito, expressed relief and said he was hopeful that at least one suspect would be brought to justice.
With the five students still at large, Agapito had a heavy heart when he visited the resting place of his son on All Saints’ Day at Himlayang Pilipino, his first “Undas” without his only child.
“This is the only thing I can promise Gino: to fight and continue his case while I’m still living,” he said.