Soldier implicated in Luisita union leader’s slay acquitted

From the Daily Tribune (Dec 15): Soldier implicated in Luisita union leader’s slay acquitted

A Philippine Army soldier, implicated in the killing of a labor leader and barangay chief in 2005, has been cleared of the criminal charges filed against him.

Army spokesman Capt. Anthony Bacus identified the cleared trooper as PFC Roderick de la Cruz.

The latter is formerly assigned at the 7th Infantry Division. He was incarcerated for almost four years prior to his acquittal.

De la Cruz was earlier implicated in the killing of Ricardo Ramos, then chairman of Barangay Mapalacsiao inside Hacienda Luisita and president of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union.

Ramos was allegedly killed by an M-14 sniper bullet while he was at his nipa hut on Oct. 25, 2005.

Witnesses pointed to De la Cruz to be behind the killing. Dela Cruz was part of the Special Operations Team who was deployed at Hacienda Luisita during that time.

Thereafter, he was placed under the custody of the 7th Infantry Division.

In 2008, he was turned over to the Custodial Management Unit of the Army, and on March 21 of that year, the Army facilitated his voluntary surrender to the National Bureau of Investigation. He was then imprisoned at the Tarlac Provincial Jail.

In the course of the trial, however, the witnesses were not able to confirm that De la Cruz was the person who fired the gun that killed Ramos.

This led to the filing of demurrer to evidence by the defendant’s counsel, citing the inadequacy of evidence adduced by the prosecution to support their accusation.

The prosecution witnesses failed to positively identify De la Cruz as the gunman.

The demurrer to evidence filed by lawyer Ana Luz Cristal was sustained by the court, hence the acquittal.

The said acquittal came early this year in an order/judgement issued by Judge Ma. Magdalena A. Balderama of the Regional Trial Court of Tarlac.

As a result of the murder case filed against De la Cruz, he was discharged from the military service effective June 18, 2012.

He is currently requesting to be reinstated in the service following his acquittal.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/soldier-implicated-in-luisita-union-leader-s-slay-acquitted