ILOILO City – The Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the murder complaint filed against five members of the Lopez family of San Dionisio, Iloilo in connection with the death of businesswoman Claire Diergos in Pavia, Iloilo in October 2021.
There was insufficient evidence, stated the resolution signed by Provincial Prosecutor Shaun Cary Acot and Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Edwin Sustituya.
But the prosecutor’s office found probable cause to indict for murder Raffy Sorioso and Gardo Ibrahim who were former Lopez aides, and Ma. Rudelyn Sumbong, the house helper of Diergos.
The Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office’s resolution came out almost four months after the murder complaint was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) and Diergos’ father Samuel in January this year.
“I’m happy with the resolution of the provincial prosecutor dismissing the case against my clients,” said Atty. Dwight Trasadas. His clients were former San Dionisio mayor Peter Paul Lopez and wife Saliha, and children Felix Paul, Carlos Paul and Christian Paul.
Diergos, a single mother, was found dead on Oct. 26, 2021 inside her sport utility vehicle – which she bought from the Lopezes on installment basis – in Barangay Inangayan, Santa Barbara, Iloilo.
“I believe from the start that my clients were innocent and had nothing to do with the killing,” Trasadas told Panay News.
Since he is also the legal counsel of Sorioso, Trasadas said he would continue representing the former.
The Lopezes and Sorioso denied having anything to do with the death of Diergos.
“Ginadayaw ko si Prosecutor Acot sang fairness kag maid-id nga pag-investigate sa sining kaso,” Trasadas said.
The SIT determined that Diergos was actually killed in her house at Deca Homes subdivision in adjacent Pavia town.
It took the IPPO’s SIT more than two months to file the complaint, citing the lack of credible witnesses.
Autopsy showed Diergos had multiple stab wounds: two on the neck, five on the left hand and two on the right hand. Her neck was slashed.
On Oct. 29, 2021 Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) conducted a luminol acid test in Diergo’s house at Deca Homes Subdivision, Barangay Balabag, Pavia.
Blood traces were spotted on the floor, walls, bed, blanket of Diergo’s three-year-old daughter, table, comfort room, Diergos’ dressing room, and the cover of the washing machine.
A closed-circuit television footage showed Diergos’ Montero Sport leaving Deca Homes at 4:20 a.m. on Oct. 25.
One of the first persons the police invited for questioning was Diergos’ newly-hired house help Rodelyn Sumbong of New Lucena, Iloilo.
She last saw Diergos alive late night of Oct. 24 (Sunday), she told the police, and hadn’t seen her since waking up Monday morning after.
Sumbong was hired just that Sunday afternoon. She said Diergos, who had a three-year-old daughter, fetched her at the transport terminal in Barangay Tagbak, Jaro, Iloilo City and they had dinner in Oton town before going home to Deca Homes around 8 p.m.
If Sumbong were to be believed, she went to sleep soundly that Sunday night after Diergos told her to just leave the gate unlocked.
“Ang pagsaka sang kaso sa tatlo ka suspects daku na ina nga bagay kay we established nga may probable cause. If na-dismiss ang kaso sa iban nga suspects, indi bo-ot silingon wala na ang kaso or patay na ang kaso. For the investigators, kun may makita sila nga credible witness kag evidence, they can still file the case,” said Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero who was then the IPPO director when the murder complaint were filed.
He is now the operations chief of the Police Regional Office 6.
In February, six of the 10 persons who executed affidavits which the SIT used as basis to file the murder complaint were charged with perjury by the Lopezes.
“Ang ila affidavits nga gin sumpaan lunsay kabutigan kag may inconsistencies,” Atty. Trasadas told Panay News.
Trasadas cited an example – the claim of one witness that Sorioso drove Diergo’s sport utility vehicle where the victim was supposedly stuffed after she was killed.
According to Trasadas, Sorioso does not know how to drive a four-wheel motor vehicle./PN
