For full video of road rage shooting: Lims dangle P300T reward

CEBU, Philippines - The family of road rage shooting suspect David Lim, Jr. will give P300,000 as reward to anyone who can present the full video of the incident last March 19.

Shortly after Lim’s surrender Tuesday, his lawyer, Orlando Salatandre, questioned the video of the incident that went viral online. He claimed the video was not the whole footage of the incident, which has put Lim in a bad light.

“My purpose is to ferret out the truth because as of now the complainant has his own version, the respondent has his own version, but the object evidence that can clarify this is the full footage they have secured during the incident because we found out that it is cut. The video footage is cut so we need the complete video footage,” Salatandre said yesterday.

On the day Lim surrendered, Salatandre said:

“Present the full video...while my client was driving, two cars tailing him kept honking their horns, prompting my client to stop his car and confront the victim and his two companions. A brawl ensued," Salatandre has said.

A dashboard camera footage from another car who happened to follow the car of the victim, nurse Ephraim Nuñal, showed Lim firing thrice, hitting the victim twice.

Nuñal was shot in his left thigh and right knee and had to undergo surgery Monday.

Salatandre said, however, that Nuñal, had "two companions bigger than the victim" and that it was only because Lim felt provoked that he took the gun from his car and fired on the ground to scare Nuñal and his companions off.

"There was no intention to hurt the victim but he kept on coming near David so my client was forced to shoot him in the legs to disable him," Salatandre added.

Complaint

Lim remained in jail as of yesterday pending the prosecutor’s resolution in the frustrated murder and illegal possession of ammunition cases filed against him.

Salatandre said they are saddened with the “delay” in the release of the information, the document that would elevate the cases in court, which, in turn, would pave the way for Lim to post bail.

But Deputy City Prosecutor Maria Theresa Casiño, the inquest prosecutor, belied the allegation of delay, saying the complaints against Lim have to fall behind other complaints filed before his and needed to be resolved first.

“Klaro man these cases (frustrated murder and illegal possession of ammunition) were received by our office yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. We handled these properly but we have to remember that prior to that there were other cases… it would be unfair on the others if I will give priorities over the rest. If we’re talking about detention, all are detention persons, so why should I give special treatment to one, to the prejudice of others, so pareho ra tanan, first tong ni abot, first tong ipagawas,” she explained.

 “First come, first served basis… no priorities, no special treatments…everything is handled fair and square based on merit and based on evidence,” Casiño said.

Casiño chose not to comment on insinuations that the supposed delay in the resolution of Lim’s cases were due to the lectures she did in the morning and afternoon yesterday.

No special treatment

Yesterday, Cebu City Police Director, Supt. Joel Doria, reiterated that Lim is not given any special treatment at the station’s holding cell.

He said the only reason why Lim is alone in the cell is because the detainees that used to occupy it have just been transferred to the Cebu City Jail.

“Sa kaso ni David Lim, Jr., pagdating nya, may bakante tayong isa so nilagay natin dyan. In-expect din natin, pag na-resolve nung prosecutor’s office ang kaso niya, makapag post sila ng bail. Definitely, bakante na naman yan,” Doria said.

 He explained that the detention cell is but a temporary place for newly-arrested persons while waiting for their commitment order to be issued by the court.

 “Sabi nga natin, lahat naman ng naka-detain dyan is temporary. Paglabas naman sa commitment order, they have to be transferred sa Cebu City Jail,” he added

He explained further that because the case is controversial, Lim is better off alone in a cell for security reasons.

Security

Yesterday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña assigned SPO1 Adonis Dumpit as additional police detail for Nuñal.

“He goes back and forth, he stays in Barangay Ermita…one day or two days lang,” Osmeña said on Dumpit.

Osmeña clarified, though, that Nuñal has not received any threat.

Councilor David Tumulak, the deputy mayor for police matters, said they have requested for security for the two witnesses in the incident.

“Na-shock ang mga witnesses kay as what they have heard sa news nga grabe ang security og VIP treatment sa suspect niya sa ilaha nuon wala. Sila ang naa sa kamatuoran niya wala na nuon sila’y security,” Tumulak said. Mylen P. Manto, Odessa O. Leyson, Christell M. Tudtud   (FREEMAN)