Ex-CSA student in gun-poking incident takes witness stand

MANILA, Philippines - A former high school student of the Colegio San Agustin (CSA) who had accused the father of his classmate of allegedly poking a gun at him while inside the school’s faculty room two years ago, took the witness stand on Tuesday.

Now 20-year-old Jesus Manuel Garcia took the stand and was directly examined by defense lawyer Dominic Balane in the continuation of the hearing on the grave threat complaint he had filed at the Makati City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 64.

During the brief direct examination, Garcia affirmed the veracity of the contents of his judicial affidavit dated Nov. 7, 2013 and his narrative report dated Aug. 30, 2012 that he had submitted to CSA officials.

Balane told the court that the contents of Garcia’s narrative report and his judicial affidavit will serve as his court testimony. Garcia, now a freshman taking-up theater arts,  left the CSA and transferred to another school where he finished his high school studies following the incident.

Judge Lourdes Barrios-Sapalo meanwhile scheduled Garcia’s cross-examination by the prosecution panel led by Richard Nethercott on December 2.

Garcia had claimed that Allan Bantiles – the father of one of his classmates at the school located inside Dasmarinas Village – poked a caliber .45 pistol at him while they were inside the school’s faculty room on Aug. 30, 2012.  Bantiles was not present during the hearing.

Garcia served as the third and last witness to be presented by the prosecution panel. Last May 6, the prosecution panel presented as its witness Jennifer Duma, an assistant liaison officer of the Colegio San Agustin.

Duma admitted during questioning by defense lawyer Balane that she had executed a narrative report dated Aug. 30, 2012 -the day the alleged gun poking incident allegedly happened- and a judicial affidavit dated Nov. 7, 2013.

In her judicial affodavit, Duma said she saw Bantiles pull out a silver colored gun from inside a sling bag being carried by a man who accompanied him while Bantiles was talking to Garcia at the recieiving area of the CSA High School Faculty Room at about 11 am.

During her cross-examination, Duma was asked by Bantiles' lawyer Nethercott on the alleged inconsistencies between her judicial affidavit and her narrative report made immediately after the incident.

Nethercott asked why Duma was able to describe the gun allegedly pulled out by Bantiles from the sling bag in her judicial affidavit while this was absent in her narrative report which she made immediately after the incident.

Duma explained that although she remembered the color of the gun, that detail was not included in her narrative report as she was rushed into writing it.

In a previous hearing, Bantiles pleaded not guilty to the complaint of grave threat.

Bantiles, a construction contractor and a resident of 44 Stockholm St., Villareal Classica Village, Quezon City, earlier also had his licenses for a Glock 9 mm pistol and a caliber .45 pistol revoked by the Philippine National Police in the wake of the alleged gun poking.

Garcia had accused Bantiles of slapping him in the face and pointing a caliber .45 pistol at his head.