ANGELES CITY – The government prosecution admitted here yesterday that all evidences against suspected serial killer Mark Dizon have all been “circumstantial” so far, but noted strong indications he would be pinned down on theft.
“We have presented 10 witnesses and six sworn testimonies of other witnesses, but so far, all we have against the suspect are circumstantial. The murder weapon is missing, and there is not a single witness who saw him actually commit the crimes,” prosecutor Allan Pasamonte said in an interview before yet another hearing multiple murder and theft cases at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 59 here yesterday.
Pasamonte said the theft case would be based on the laptops and other items owned by Dizon’s victims and later established to be in the possession of the suspect.
While waiting for the hearing to start, Dizon, 28, who was in handcuffs, sought an interview with Punto and insisted he was a mere “fall guy” in all the three series of murders that killed three foreigners and six of their Filipino companions in this city last July.
Warned that his lawyer had yet to arrive in court, Dizon nevertheless insisted to be interviewed on the charges against him. The interview was taped.
Dizon’s pending cases pertained to the fatal shooting of US Air Force MSgt. Albert Mitchell, 70, and his wife Janet and their househelps Isabel Fajardo, Marissa Prado and Yulberto Catli in their home in Hensonville Court Subdivision in Barangay Malabanias on July 22.
Pasamonte said, however, that Dizon has yet to be charged with the murder of South African national Geoffrey Allan Bennun, 60, and his live-in partner, Abegail Helina, 20, inside their house at Oasis Hotel and Villas in Clarkville Compound in Barangay Anunas here on July 12, as well as in the killing of Briton James Bolton Porter, 51, and his live-in partner, Melissa Madarang, 22, in their house at 4-11A Nicolas street in Sta. Maria Subdivision in Barangay Balibago here last July 16.
“There is no evidence to link me to the crimes. The incidents occurred in subdivisions where sentries normally list down names of guests, and my name does not even appear in any of their log books,” Dizon said.
He noted that even the alleged close circuit television camera that was initially reported to have recorded his presence at the Clarkville Compound turned out to be non-existent.
Dizon said he had been reading legal books while in jail since his arrest in La Union last July27, and that he found out that his rights were allegedly violated when he underwent “custodial investigation” despite lack of legal counsel.
“I know of a rape case which was dismissed because of that same reason and so I can not understand why the judge still accepted testimonies of witnesses and presentation of evidences despite this flaw,” said Dizon who spoke English well.
The hearing yesterday was deferred after a witness for the prosecution failed to attend. The hearing was moved temporarily yesterday to Branch 59 under Judge Ma. Angelica Paras-Quiambao after Branch 58 Judge Philip Iturralde went on leave up to January next year.
Pasamonte said he still has to consult with his superiors on whether move the case back to the sala of Iturralde after his leave, or seek that the case be raffled off anew to another judge up to the completion of the case.
“We are already more than halfway through with our witnesses and presentation of evidences and my first preference is for Judge Iturralde to be the one to render judgment on the case, since he was the one who saw the intensity of the testimonies of the witnesses,” Pasamonte said.
However, he said that if he would see that the case would be unduly delayed, he would opt for its reshuffling to another judge.
Pasamonte said that while the murder evidences against Dizon have so far all been merely circumstantial, he expressed hope that he would still be able to “weave” the evidences and testimonies to pin him down in the murders.
“We have presented 10 witnesses and six sworn testimonies of other witnesses, but so far, all we have against the suspect are circumstantial. The murder weapon is missing, and there is not a single witness who saw him actually commit the crimes,” prosecutor Allan Pasamonte said in an interview before yet another hearing multiple murder and theft cases at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 59 here yesterday.
Pasamonte said the theft case would be based on the laptops and other items owned by Dizon’s victims and later established to be in the possession of the suspect.
While waiting for the hearing to start, Dizon, 28, who was in handcuffs, sought an interview with Punto and insisted he was a mere “fall guy” in all the three series of murders that killed three foreigners and six of their Filipino companions in this city last July.
Warned that his lawyer had yet to arrive in court, Dizon nevertheless insisted to be interviewed on the charges against him. The interview was taped.
Dizon’s pending cases pertained to the fatal shooting of US Air Force MSgt. Albert Mitchell, 70, and his wife Janet and their househelps Isabel Fajardo, Marissa Prado and Yulberto Catli in their home in Hensonville Court Subdivision in Barangay Malabanias on July 22.
Pasamonte said, however, that Dizon has yet to be charged with the murder of South African national Geoffrey Allan Bennun, 60, and his live-in partner, Abegail Helina, 20, inside their house at Oasis Hotel and Villas in Clarkville Compound in Barangay Anunas here on July 12, as well as in the killing of Briton James Bolton Porter, 51, and his live-in partner, Melissa Madarang, 22, in their house at 4-11A Nicolas street in Sta. Maria Subdivision in Barangay Balibago here last July 16.
“There is no evidence to link me to the crimes. The incidents occurred in subdivisions where sentries normally list down names of guests, and my name does not even appear in any of their log books,” Dizon said.
He noted that even the alleged close circuit television camera that was initially reported to have recorded his presence at the Clarkville Compound turned out to be non-existent.
Dizon said he had been reading legal books while in jail since his arrest in La Union last July27, and that he found out that his rights were allegedly violated when he underwent “custodial investigation” despite lack of legal counsel.
“I know of a rape case which was dismissed because of that same reason and so I can not understand why the judge still accepted testimonies of witnesses and presentation of evidences despite this flaw,” said Dizon who spoke English well.
The hearing yesterday was deferred after a witness for the prosecution failed to attend. The hearing was moved temporarily yesterday to Branch 59 under Judge Ma. Angelica Paras-Quiambao after Branch 58 Judge Philip Iturralde went on leave up to January next year.
Pasamonte said he still has to consult with his superiors on whether move the case back to the sala of Iturralde after his leave, or seek that the case be raffled off anew to another judge up to the completion of the case.
“We are already more than halfway through with our witnesses and presentation of evidences and my first preference is for Judge Iturralde to be the one to render judgment on the case, since he was the one who saw the intensity of the testimonies of the witnesses,” Pasamonte said.
However, he said that if he would see that the case would be unduly delayed, he would opt for its reshuffling to another judge.
Pasamonte said that while the murder evidences against Dizon have so far all been merely circumstantial, he expressed hope that he would still be able to “weave” the evidences and testimonies to pin him down in the murders.
