CEBU CITY – Murder charges were filed against a former Court of Appeals associate justice and five other persons for the killing of a barangay official in Leyte.
Vicente “Ching” Veloso, a former magistrate and congressman of the third district of Leyte; Nicolas Banez, alias “Butoy,” William Louise Languido, Richan Dejon Pernis, Edwin Mulle, and Edwin Comendador were charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ).
PERSONNEL of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Major Crimes Investigation Unit file a murder complaint against former Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ching Veloso and five other persons for the 2016 killing of a barangay official in Leyte. (Contributed photo)
The complaint was filed on Wednesday, Jan. 22, by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Major Crimes Investigation Unit (CIDG-MCIU).
The charges stemmed from the murder of Anthony Sevilla Nuñez, a councilor of Barangay Malawaan, Tabango, Leyte. Nuñez was shot inside a cockpit on Jan. 23, 2016.
The CIDG-MCIU said that a case was filed in relation to the murder but it was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
The CIDG-MCIU disclosed that on Aug. 14, 2024, the CIDG director “issued verbal instructions” to investigate the killings in the third district of Leyte that led to the reopening and further investigation of Nuñez's murder.
During the course of the investigation, Pernis surrendered to the CIDG-Regional Field Unit Eastern Visayas where he allegedly admitted his participation in the murder of Nunez.
“His surrender was prompted by threats to his life from an individual named Ching Veloso. He voluntarily submitted himself into custody of CIDG RFU 8 for him to seek protection,” a portion of the documents submitted by CIDG-MCIU to the DOJ said.
According to the CIDG-MCIU, Pernis is a New People’s Army rebel and is wanted for a murder case in Barangay Guinsiaman, San Miguel, Leyte.
The CIDG-MCIU added in August 2015, Languido admitted his participation in the crime. Languido, also a former member of the NPA, is currently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Biliran.
As the investigation continued, the CIDG-MCIU said a 45-year-old resident of Barangay Basud, San Isidro, Leyte came forward and testified that he positively identified the gunman in the killing of Nuñez. The witness identified the gunman as Banez.
In his sworn statement, Pernis said Banez was his former platoon commander in the NPA since 2001. He said it was Banez who persuaded him to work in Veloso’s farm in Barangay Guinsiaman.
While working as a security guard in the farm, Pernis said he came to know Languido and Comendador.
The CIDG-MCIU said that Pernis claimed to have been paid an additional P5,000 for “violent tasks.”
Pernis alleged that Veloso ordered Butoy to carry out a certain “job” which turned out to be the assassination of Nunez.
In his own admission, the CIDG-MCIU said Languido recounted that their group gunned down Nuñez in a cockpit in Barangay Manlawan, Tabango at 4 p.m.
Banez was the alleged gunman while Languido served as a lookout and the driver of the get-away vehicle.
The CIDG-MCIU said that the killing of Nuñez was politically motivated as he was a known supporter of Veloso’s political rivals.