ANGELES CITY – Manifesting no hint of remorse, the suspected serial killer of three foreigners and six others in this city last month pleaded not guilty during his arraignment last Monday at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 58 here.
“Not guilty,” suspect Mark Dizon, 28, confidently said as five charges of murder, one count of carnapping and three counts of robbery were read to him by court personnel Carolina Manalang before RTC Judge Philbert Iturralde.
Government prosecutor Allan Pasamonte said he will present no less than 16 witnesses in the cases against Dizon, a computer technician and reflexologist who had befriended his victims.
The carnapping and one theft charge dated back in 2003, for which a warrant of arrest was issued against Dizon in 2005.
Court personnel took about ten minutes reading all the charges against him, as he answered “not guilty” to each one.
Court personnel Carolina Manalang read aloud accusations that Dizon had the “intent to kill willfully, treacherously, feloniously and with evident pre-meditation” five of the victims, the last set of a series of three murders attributed to him last July.
Ten black-uniformed armed escorts from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) escorted Dizon from the Angeles district jail to the court. While he seemed to avoid media camera, he seemed confident in denying the charges against him.
Iturralde assigned a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to act as Dizon’s counsel after the suspect’s lawyer failed to show up. Dizon also had no relatives among those in the court room.
Dizon was handcuffed all throughout the arraignment. He wore a yellow T-shirt marked with the logo of the local jail at the back, fashionably torn denims, an original Crocs sandals and an expensive-looking watch.
Dizon was arrested in San Fernando, La Union last July 27. He was later charged with the murder of retired US air force MSgt. Albert Mitchell, 70, and her mother Janet, 53, and their househelps Isabel Fajardo, Marissa Prado, and Yulberto Catli in their home in Hensonville Court subdivision in Barangay Malabanias last July 22.
Meanwhile, Iturralde junked a proposal, apparently from the prosecution, to bar the media from covering the case in court, saying that “this case is open to the public and media is part of that public.”
The judge also cited a ruling of the Supreme Court providing speedy trial of serious cases involving foreigners as victims, while at the same time assuring Dizon of fair trial.
“Not guilty,” suspect Mark Dizon, 28, confidently said as five charges of murder, one count of carnapping and three counts of robbery were read to him by court personnel Carolina Manalang before RTC Judge Philbert Iturralde.
Government prosecutor Allan Pasamonte said he will present no less than 16 witnesses in the cases against Dizon, a computer technician and reflexologist who had befriended his victims.
The carnapping and one theft charge dated back in 2003, for which a warrant of arrest was issued against Dizon in 2005.
Court personnel took about ten minutes reading all the charges against him, as he answered “not guilty” to each one.
Court personnel Carolina Manalang read aloud accusations that Dizon had the “intent to kill willfully, treacherously, feloniously and with evident pre-meditation” five of the victims, the last set of a series of three murders attributed to him last July.
Ten black-uniformed armed escorts from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) escorted Dizon from the Angeles district jail to the court. While he seemed to avoid media camera, he seemed confident in denying the charges against him.
Iturralde assigned a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to act as Dizon’s counsel after the suspect’s lawyer failed to show up. Dizon also had no relatives among those in the court room.
Dizon was handcuffed all throughout the arraignment. He wore a yellow T-shirt marked with the logo of the local jail at the back, fashionably torn denims, an original Crocs sandals and an expensive-looking watch.
Dizon was arrested in San Fernando, La Union last July 27. He was later charged with the murder of retired US air force MSgt. Albert Mitchell, 70, and her mother Janet, 53, and their househelps Isabel Fajardo, Marissa Prado, and Yulberto Catli in their home in Hensonville Court subdivision in Barangay Malabanias last July 22.
Meanwhile, Iturralde junked a proposal, apparently from the prosecution, to bar the media from covering the case in court, saying that “this case is open to the public and media is part of that public.”
The judge also cited a ruling of the Supreme Court providing speedy trial of serious cases involving foreigners as victims, while at the same time assuring Dizon of fair trial.
