Prosecution denies US hand in murder case

From the Manila Times (Jan 7): Prosecution denies US hand in murder case

THE prosecution panel in the murder case of American serviceman George Anikow has denied reports that the United States government has been intervening in the case. Public Prosecutor Hannah Arriola said that she did not receive any order from the US government nor from the Department of Justice to ensure the conviction of the four accused in the murder of Anikow, the spouse of a US diplomat. “Nothing from the mayor, nothing from the secretary of the Department of Justice,” said Arriola when asked if she received any such directive.

She explained that representatives from the US embassy in Manila were just attending the hearing to monitor the progress of the case and that they did not interfere in the litigation. “Hindi naman nila ako kinakausap [They did not talk to me], I did not even know that they are there. They are just attending the hearing to monitor the progress of the case,” Arriola added. Relatives of one of the accused earlier asked US officials attending the hearing to stay out of the case.

Meanwhile, the Branch 59 of the Regional Trial Court of Makati City is set to view today the original closed-circuit television (CCTV) footages on the murder of Anikow at the Rockwell Center. Arriola explained that the viewing of the original CCTV footages is necessary in order to compare it with the copy submitted to the Makati police investigators and later presented as evidence before the court. “We will view the original copy for comparison with the video presented to the court,” she added.

The viewing at the Rockwell Command Center was ordered by Judge Winlove Dumayas of the regional court in Makati after the hard drive of the CCTV footages was not presented to the court as this would affect the operations of Rockwell Center’s CCTV system.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/nation/38824-prosecution-denies-us-hand-in-murder-case