Navy officers accused in Pestaño slay want raps junked

Navy Ensign Philip Pestaño

The Philippine Navy officers charged with murder in the death of Ens. Philip Pestaño on Tuesday asked the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the charges against them and to defer their arrest while their plea was being resolved.

In a motion to quash the information, the Navy officers said it was the military court and not the Sandiganbayan that had jurisdiction over them.

They also said the charge sheet filed by the Office of the Ombudsman was defective for saying that four offenses were committed and that Pestaño had two gunshot wounds in the head when he only had one.

The Office of the Ombudsman had ruled that Pestaño was murdered on the BRP Bacolod City in 1995 and that his colleagues had conspired to make his killing look like a suicide.

Charged with Pestaño’s murder were Capt. Ricardo Ordoñez, Cmdr. Reynaldo Lopez, Lt. Cmdr. Luidegar Casis, Lt. Cmdr. Alfrederick Alba, Lt. Cmdr. Joselito Colico, Lt. Cmdr. Ruben Roque, PO1 Carlito Amoroso, PO2 Mil Leonor Igcasan, Hospital Man 2 Welmenio Aquino and Machinery Repairman 2 Sandy Miranda.

Originally posted: 6:03 pm | Tuesday, January 24th, 2012