A regional trial court (RTC) judge in Negros Oriental has given the counsels for defense and plaintiff to submit within five days their respective information and arguments in relation to an application for bail for the defendant, an alleged top ranking leader of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA).
This developed after RTC Branch 41 Judge Gerardo Paguio on Friday held the bail hearing on the murder case filed against Rene Bustamante under Criminal Case No. 2014-22242 on the murder of a farmer, Narciso Bantoto, Jr., in Barangay Tayak, Siaton town in south Negros Oriental.
Counsel for the defense, Joel Obar, explained that he is hopeful that despite murder being a non-bailable offense, the court will grant their request. But, he anticipates a substantial amount for the bail bond in the event the judge will approve of the bail applied for.
Aside from murder, Bustamante was also earlier charged with illegal possession of an explosive, also a non-bailable offense.
Bustamante, in his early 50s, married and a resident of Catbalogan, Samar, is tagged by the military as the alleged secretary of the NPA’s South East Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros operating in
He was arrested during a joint police and military checkpoint last June 6 in Tanjay City, during which the authorities claimed to have confiscated from Bustamante a hand grenade of which he denied ownership.
The law enforcers arrested Bustamante by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Paguio, dated April 30, 2014, which named a certain John Doe “alias Pediong” and Julito Alban “alias Castor” as the respondents.
Military and police officials later identified the “John Doe alias Pediong” as Bustamante as attested by witnesses but the latter denied he was the “Pediong” being referred to who killed Bantoto last January 17, 2014.
In that incident, Bantoto and his wife, Criselda, their children and a niece, were on their way to a benefit dance in the
Police investigation had showed that Bantoto was killed as he was being accused of being an informant of the military.
During Friday’s hearing, Bustamante’s wife, daughter and mother were present, as well as Criselda Bantoto and some family members.
Criselda Bantoto declined to be interviewed.
Obar, meanwhile, said they still have to go into trial, whether the court will grant bail or not.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=683655
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