Gunman in slay try of NBI official pleads guilty

MANILA, Philippines—The gunman in the botched ambush on National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Deputy Director Reynaldo Esmeralda three years ago pleaded guilty to the crime of two counts of frustrated murder.

Teodoro Abendaño during the Feb. 17 arraignment pleaded guilty when the amended Informations (charge sheet) were read to him.

Due to his plea, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina has reduced the penalty imposed on Abendaño due to the mitigating circumstance of pleading guilty. Abendaño was sentenced to four up to 10 years imprisonment for each count instead of the penalty of six years and one day to 12 years.

“Finding accused Teodoro Abendaño guilty beyond reasonable doubt of two counts of frustrated murder and appreciating the mitigating circumstance of voluntary plea, this court is sentencing him to suffer the indeterminate prison term of four years, two months and one day to 10 years and one day as maximum,” the court said in an order dated March 9.

On the other hand, his coaccused Perfecto Villanueva, Ramoso Ramos, Alfredo Compoc and Jun Monticlaros pleaded not guilty.

The court has set March 26 for pretrial.

Meanwhile, the court ordered the Camp Crame Custodial Center to produce coaccused Tyrone Ong for his rearraignment.

Ong was ordered arrested by the Sandiganbayan in August 2013 on graft and malversation charges for the P385-million “ghost” repairs and maintenance of the V-150 armored vehicles of the Philippine National Police in 2007. He is also known as a business partner of Cedric Lee who is accused of mauling comedian-host Vhong Navarro last year.

Esmeralda and his brother, PO3 Nilo Esmeralda, were wounded in the ambush on the night of Feb. 21, 2012, when two men on a motorcycle fired at their vehicle near Lucban Bridge on Apacible Street in Paco, Manila.

READ: NBI official survives ambush in Manila

Abendaño was later identified as the gunman.