Carl’s ‘victim’ changes story

MANILA, Philippines — The taxi driver who claimed he was robbed at gunpoint by Carl Angelo Arnaiz has changed his story, according to a report on GMA-7's 24 Oras news program last night.

Tomas Bagcal now claims Arnaiz used a knife and that his friend, 14-year-old Reynaldo de Guzman, was with the teenager during the robbery.

Bagcal earlier said Arnaiz was alone and had used a gun.

De Guzman’s body was found in Nueva Ecija on Sept. 5 while Arnaiz was found in a Caloocan City morgue 10 days after he and De Guzman went missing on Aug. 17.

Asked what prompted him to change his mind, Bagcal said the ease with which the police officers discussed how they would kill the teenagers frightened him and made him want to tell the truth.

It has yet to be determined how his admission will affect the government’s plan to make him a state witness.

Bagcal turned himself in to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, he was tagged as a conspirator in the Arnaiz-De Guzman murder case.

He was accompanied by his family and representatives from the Commission on Human Rights and non-government organization Rise Up for Life and for Rights, which previously took him into custody.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Bagcal has been placed under the protective custody of the NBI.

Aguirre reiterated his offer for Bagcal to apply for the witness protection program and reveal everything he knows about the Arnaiz-De Guzman killings.

The murders of Arnaiz and De Guzman as well as that of another teenager, Kian Loyd delos Santos, are undergoing preliminary investigation in the Department of Justice.

The victims’ parents filed criminal complaints with the help of Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta.

Bagcal was named respondent in a charge sheet filed against  Police Officers 1 Ricky Arquilita and Jeffrey Perez – both of the Caloocan City police – for double murder, torture and planting of evidence.

Acosta expressed the belief Bagcal has knowledge of the twin killings.

She said Bagcal could still serve as state witness in the case “for as long as he tells the whole truth.”