Lawyer: DoJ will favor Espinosa

March 25, 2009 in Iloilo news | Tags: crime, peace and order, Ramon Rojas slay case, Vicente
Espinosa | No comments

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE camp of businessman Vicente “Etik” Espinosa is expecting a favorable decision from the
Department of Justice (DoJ) relative to the review on the assassination of vice mayor Ramon
Rojas of Ajuy, Iloilo.

Atty. Edeljulio Romero, a member of Espinosa’s legal team, said he gathered information that
the DoJ will uphold the decision of the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office (IPPO) to exonerate
his client from the Rojas slay case.

Romero said there is no strong evidence that will link Espinosa to the slaying, not even the
confession of suspected gunman Dennis Cartagena who is now detained under heavy guard at the
Iloilo Rehabilitation Center.

Board Member Jett Rojas, a cousin of the slain vice mayor, earlier said the DoJ will issue a
resolution on the case anytime this week.

The IPPO dismissed the murder charges against Espinosa and Lindsey Buenavista for lack of
evidence July 2008.

But the Rojases filed a petition for review with the DoJ assailing the IPPO resolution.

When Cartagena was arrested in Butuan City and tagged Espinosa to the case, the victim’s
family asked the DoJ to include Cartagena’s affidavit to bolster their case against Espinosa.

Romero said Cartagena’s affidavit is just “a mere scrap of paper because it was not included in
the preliminary investigation.”

“How can the DoJ rule on something that was not included in the preliminary stages of the case?
The DoJ cannot scold or reprimand the IPPO for failure to act on a piece of evidence that was
not presented by the complainant,” Romero said.

The lawyer said it would be unfair to include Cartagena’s affidavit in the petition for review
“because my client was not able to answer the accusations before the IPPO.”

Board member Rojas lamented the status of the case saying the efforts of the police to gather
evidence and witnesses “went to naught because of what is happening in our justice system.”

“The case of Neoyet Penepona, which was backed up by strong evidence and statements of first
hand witnesses was even dismissed for supposedly lack of proof. What’s happening with our
justice system?” BM Rojas said.
Espinosa allegedly ordered the death of Penepona, his former employee, by poisoning when the
latter purportedly embezzled money from his gasoline station.

Espinosa had denied the accusations.