Judge revokes probation of suspect in bank teller’s murder

ANGELES CITY, Philippines–A judge here has revoked the four-year probation of Fidel Shieldon Arcenas, who is facing another case of parricide in connection with the death of his former wife, bank teller Tania Camille Dee, in June.

Judge Gemma Theresa Hilario-Logronio of the Municipal Trial Court (MTC) Branch 3 here issued the revocation order on July 20, almost three weeks after issuing a warrant of arrest against Arcenas for violating the conditions of his probation for a separate case.

Arcenas was convicted of attempted homicide in 2011 but instead of serving a prison term, he applied for and was granted probation by the court that started on Oct. 15, 2011. His probation would have ended on Oct. 15 this year.

On June 30, City Prosecutor Oliver Garcia filed a motion to revoke Arcenas’ probation and asked for an arrest warrant against the latter for violating some of the conditions of his probation.

Arcenas failed to report to his probation officer on June 24 and could no longer be found in his address at 20-8 Balikbayan St. in Carmenville Subdivision here, Garcia said.

He said Arcenas no longer answered the calls of his supervising probation officer. He said the City Prosecutor’s Office also tried but failed to furnish Arcenas with a copy of the motion because he no longer lived in his house here.

The order of probation granted by Logronio to Arcenas on Oct. 5, 2011, said that he must report to his supervising probation officer at least twice a month and must not change his residence without the approval of his supervising probation officer.

In her order, Logronio said the court was convinced that there was a serious violation of the conditions of Arcenas’ probation.

“As a result of the revocation of his probation, Arcenas now has to serve his full sentence of four years in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City or at the district jail in Camp Tomas Pepito here, depending on the commitment order to be issued by the court,” Marlon Roque, clerk of court of MTC Branch 3, said.

He said the court has been waiting for the city police to return the July 3 arrest warrant with explanation of why they failed to serve it.

“The court needs the original warrant that is good only for 10 days to be returned so it can issue an alias warrant of arrest that will have no expiration date,” Roque said.

Senior Supt. Eden Ugale, acting city police chief, said he had directed his men to return the warrant to the court.

On July 12, the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed a parricide case against Arcenas and a murder case against the latter’s girlfriend, Maria Angela Francesca Dychioco, in the Department of Justice. The CIDG also asked the DOJ to turn Dychioco and her mother, Regina, into state witnesses against Arcenas, a member of a prominent family in Pampanga.

In her sworn affidavit, Dychioco said she helped Arcenas bring Dee’s body to a grave dug in the family’s unoccupied house in Sta. Maria Subdivision in Barangay (village) Balibago here. Dychioco also told police she helped Arcenas clean the house.

Through the cooperation of Regina, police exhumed Dee’s body at the back of the family’s house on June 28.