Killer of Papadom’s wife gets 40 years

MANILA, Philippines — The Makati City Regional Trial Court has sentenced to 40 years imprisonment the killer in the gruesome death of the widow of Dominic “Papadom” Gamboa, the late singer and founder of the homegrown reggae band Tropical Depression.

In its 20 page decision, Makati RTC Branch 149 found Nitro Ison guilty of special complex crime of robbery with homicide for the death of Ma. Amparo “Teng” Santaromana-Gamboa. Ison has been meted the penalty of reclusion perpetua without the eligibility of parole.

The incident happened in the early morning of February 2016. The victim boarded a taxi driven by Ison. Her body was later found along Kalayaan Avenue and Barrio Bisaya in Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati City with one gunshot wound to the head.

Investigation showed Ison was already facing a string of criminal cases for stealing taxi cabs and victimizing female passengers. The driver of the taxi that picked up Gamboa positively identified Ison as the one who stole his taxi at gunpoint.

The court also ordered Ison to pay the family of the victim P75,000 in civil indemnity; P283,770.50 for actual damages; P75,000 as moral damages: and P50,000 as temperate damages. All the penalties will have a six percent legal interest per annum from the finality of the decision until full payment.

The lawyer of the victim’s family, Marjorie de Castro, said the family was thankful that justice had been served.

The widow’s death came three years after the death of Papadom due to kidney failure in 2013. His band was behind such hits as “Bilog na naman ang Buwan” and “Kapayapaan.”

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