By Malu Cadelina-Manar
Kidapawan City – Three former policemen and three self-confessed hired killers were found guilty by a local court judge here of the murder of a wealthy Filipino-Chinese businessman 12 years ago.
Former Kidapawan policemen SPO1s Rene Mamburam and Ignacio Rinsulat and PO3 Edwin Pacana were convicted, together with guns-for-hire Reynaldo Camus, Roland Gabais and Ramil Silonga, for the killing of hardware store owner Roger Ong on March 2, 2006.
The former policemen were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Regional Trial Court Judge Sadiri Balagot rendered the decision in an emotion-filled promulgation Friday.
Salome Liza Ong, widow of the victim, was teary eyed as she listened to Balagot’s decision as it was read by the court clerk.
“Twelve years. We’ve suffered this much for 12 years. Finally, we got the justice we deserve,” she said.
In his decision, Balagot said the murder of Ong, which was executed by Camus and his team, was induced by the policemen, thus, making the latter equally liable as principals “by inducement.”
Balagot, citing Article 7 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), said that if a person induced another to commit a crime, then he or she shall be considered as having had direct participation in the crime.