LC council urges DOJ to expedite investigation One year and three months after former Laoag City Vice Mayor Jimmy O. Chua was brutally killed and there had been not much progress about the case, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution expressing in no uncertain terms the frustration of the 6th Sanggunian of the city of Laoag over the delay in the preliminary investigation of the murder of the late vice mayor which remains pending at the Department of Justice (DOJ) as they strongly urged the department through Sec. Raul M. Gonzales to expedite the resolution of the preliminary investigation. During the deliberation, Laoag City Councilor Vicentito M. Lazo, who initiated the resolution being the chair of the council’s committee on peace and order, said that the unreasonable and unwarranted delay of the DOJ in resolving the case has resulted into frustration for those who sympathize with the Chua family. The frustration, Lazo continued, crept in after a much later case, the Subic rape case which involves four American servicemen, was immediately resolved and charges were immediately filed in court. Lazo however clarified that the resolution is not meant to politicize the issue. “This is not politically motivated, but this is motivated by the truth. Let us all strive to arrive at the truth,” Lazo said. Chua was killed on February 22, 2004, just hours after he, along with other city government officials, led the opening of the fiesta celebrations, at the Eagle’s Nest Bar and Restaurant. Before he was killed, he was with Laoag City Councilor Modesto Melvin M. dela Cuesta. Dela Cuesta then executed numerous sworn statements, the first of which related of motorcycle-riding assassins. After several weeks however, Dela Cuesta executed another affidavit implicating Laoag City Mayor Michael V. Fariñas, who was then with Chua and Dela Cuesta at the said restaurant but was said to have left ahead of them. Later though, Dela Cuesta again executed another affidavit this time stating that he was coerced by government agents into executing the second affidavit which implicated Fariñas. With Dela Cuesta’s conflicting statements, Lazo introduced the said resolution to “once and for all know the truth about what really transpired that morning of February 2.” The resolution was unanimously approved by the members of the council as Dela Cuesta suggested that the resolution be sponsored by all members of the council. Reacting to this, Fariñas expressed his agreement with the resolution saying the issue should be resolved immediately. “Permaak to pay ketdi a dagus tapnon mapa-alisto diay resolution ken malaw-lawagan iti maysa ken maysa (I would sign the resolution immediately so we could all finally know the truth),” Fariñas said. Fariñas also expressed hopes that the council resolution would make the DOJ speed up its investigation of the case. Dominic B. dela Cruz
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