Man convicted of murder

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Trial Court Branch 18 Judge Gilbert Moises convicted a man for killing his neighbor while playing mahjong.

Moises found Brix Satinitigan of Awayan, Carcar City guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him to reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years imprisonment.

Satinitigan was likewise directed to pay the heirs of the victim, Vicente Lauron, P9,000 for actual damages; P75,000 for civil indemnity and P50,000 for moral damages. A court employee told The FREEMAN that after the promulgation, a commotion happened inside the court room after the accused punched the complainant of the case.

Satinitigan, accused of killing Lauron on July 6, 2008, pleaded not guilty during the arraignment of the murder case. The prosecution presented three witnesses.

One of them was Sonia Ocaña, a resident of Perrelos, Carcar City. She said on July 6 at 12:00 noon she was on her way to the house of Eliseo dela Cerna to watch a mahjong game when she noticed two persons onboard a motorcycle. 

She added that she identified the accused although he was wearing a bonnet because the latter was often hanging out at the corner of Awayan.

Ocaña said the accused then disembarked from the motorcycle and shot her brother with a shotgun.

“I ran away right after I saw Brix aimed the shotgun at my brother. I heard three gun bursts and the motorcycle hurriedly left,” she said.

She said she reported the incident to the police station, prompting the arrest of the accused.

The accused said he did no such thing.

In his testimony, he said he was asked by Marlon Quijano to drive the motorcycle which will be used in killing Lauron but he refused, saying he wanted to finish his studies. He said Quijano told them they just came from Bas, Perrelos, Carcar where they just killed Lauron.

The accused said he told the police he did not kill the victim. He added that he never reported the plan of his acquaintance in killing Lauron as a certain Elcid Babao threatened him and Quijano threatened his father.

Moises ruled that the testimony of the eyewitness, Ocaña, prevails over that of the accused.

“The positive identification by Sonia Ocaña that it was Brix Satinitigan who shot to death her brother Vicente Lauron is uncontested,” he ruled. Moises added “Ocaña’s testimony deserves grater weight because it was straightforward, candid and despite the rigors of her cross-examination her testimony remained firm and consistent.” (FREEMAN)