Arrest warrants issued vs 3 men in Wal murder case

BAGUIO CITY – A warrant of arrest for murder was issued Friday by Judge Fernando Pamintuan of the Regional Trial Court;s Brach 3 here against Baguio-based architect Joseph Marrero, the alleged mastermind and two others in the Jan. 21, 2008 murder of St. Louis University Jude Wal 11.

Pamintuan recommended no bail for the accused. This, after city prosecutor Alfredo Centeno filed the information with the RTC Friday which will now pave the way for the litigation of the case.

Earlier, a purported ruling by the Department of Justice dismissing a petition for review that sought to reverse a provincial prosecutor’s ruling in dismissing the murder case against Marrero was found out to be a “fake.”

The made the parents of the victim to hold a press conference at Inglay’s Restaurant at km 6 La Trinidad, Benguet on March 12 questioning the veracity of the fake DOJ order.

The next day, personnel of Inglay’s reportedly found blood splashed near the main door of the restaurant.

The DOJ “ruling,” as published in a local weekly paper newspaper, as culled from an alleged email purportedly from Marrero to different media outfits in Baguio was “promulgated” Jan. 26, 2010.

The “ruling,” as printed in the local paper quoted the alleged DOJ order as saying “We carefully examined for the record and found no error that would justify a reversal of the resolution.

The article said “Ilocos Sur provincial prosecutor Jessica Viloria, in behalf of the city prosecutor earlier dismissed the murder case against Marrero for lack of evidence. But the prosecutor found probable cause for murder against two others accused in the same case, Ernesto Genetiano and Rolando Tomon. In dismissing the case, Viloria made it clear that the extrajudicial confessions of Genetiano and Tomon in naming Marrero as “the brain, author and mastermind of the killing of Jude Wal 11 were not backed by evidence.”

Genetiano was the alleged gunman was Tomon was the lookout.

The case against the three was earlier filed at the City Prosecutor’s Office of Baguio City by the elder Wal, an employee of the Department of Agrarian Reform and his wife Susan in behalf of their murdered son.

Wal, the father showed newsmen the genuine DOJ resolution promulgated Feb, 26, 2010 in the case of murder filed by spouses Wal versus Marrero, Tomon and Genetiano as respondents
It was signed by Justice Secretary Agnes VST Devanadera showing copies were issued to the Regional State Prosecutor of San Fernando City, La Union, the Baguio City Prosecutor, lawyer Antonio Pekas, counsel of complainants and lawyer Valentin Paredes, consel for Marrero.

“The petition for review is hereby granted. The Resolution of Provincial Prosecutor Jessica G. Viloria dated Aug. 6, 2006 is reversed and set aside,” the Devanadera resolution said. “The resolution of Provincial Prosecutor Danilo C. Bumacod dated June 22, 2009 is reinstated. The City Prosecutor of Baguio City or the Office of the Regional State Prosecutor, Region 1, as the case may be, is directed to amend the information filed in court by including respondent Joseph Marrero as one of the accused and to report the action taken thereon within 10 days from receipt hereof.”

Bumacod in a resolution dated June 22, 2009 recommended Marrero for indictment for murder on the ground that the extrajudicial confessions of Tomon and Genetiano were “interlocking confessions” saying these were admissible against Marrero.