Police give conflicting statements on lawyer’s death

By H MARCOS MORDENO
of Mindanews and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

MALAYBALAY City––The death of lawyer here on Tuesday remained a mystery after police officials issued conflicting statements. One said it was a case of “accidental shooting” while another said the man was shot.

Police said one of the lawyer’s companions who could not be located could have the key to unlocking the mystery.

Pepito Suello, a lawyer from Cebu who also had a house at NHA Phase 3 Subdivision in Barangay Casisang here, died in what the Malaybalay police initially described as “accidental shooting” inside his car at around 8:30 am Tuesday.

Malaybalay police director Supt. Henry Dampal told radio station DxDB yesterday that they saw no indications that the lawyer was shot from the outside.

Suello said that at the time of the incident, Suello was driving his car along with lawyer Alvy Damasco and one Fernando Makalintal from his house in NHA Phase 3. Damasco and Suello belonged to the same law firm.

But Chief Insp. Silvestre Democrito Asiong, information officer of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office, identified the other man as Alfredo Sese, and not Fernando Makalintal. Asiong said Suello was shot.

Dampal quoted Damasco as saying that about a hundred meters away from Suello’s house he felt like sleeping when he heard gunshots and noticed that the car was swerving out of control.

Damasco took over the wheel and brought Suello to the Malaybalay General Polymedic Hospital, the police official said, adding the victim sustained gunshot wounds in the head and chest.

The victim died later at the Polymedic Hospital in Malaybalay city. Dampal said Damasco had given an initial statement on the incident and volunteered to undergo a paraffin test. “Makalintal” or “Sese” however, remained at large.

But Chief Insp. Asiong, Bukidnon Provincial Police Office provincial officer, had a different version. He said Suello was shot by a still unidentified person.

Asiong said the lawyer was driving his Hyundai Sante Fe car and was bound to the Regional Trial Court Branch 9 in Malaybalay City with Damasco and Sese when he was shot at Phase 3, NHA in Casisang.

Asiong said investigators found the car’s driver’s seat hit by two bullets, and another bullet pierced through the car’s left door. Dampal said he sent some policemen to Impasugong, Bukidnon, where “Makalintal,” who reportedly hails from Batangas, has a temporary residence but they failed to locate him.

Dampal said they recovered spent shells of a 9mm pistol in Suello’s bag inside the car. No 9mm pistol was found.

Dampal clarified they initially called it “accidental shooting” since the two lawyers were said to be close and belonged to the same law firm. He added they can only give a complete picture of the incident once they get the statement of Makalintal. He said they have asked Makalintal’s mother to convince her son to submit himself to an investigation.

Suello’s remains now lie in state at the Villanueva Funeral Homes in Malaybalay.