| I hate it when that happens. |
Laoag City, Philippines: Councilor Melvin dela Cuesta of Laoag City has finally come out in the open, rectifying all his previous statements on the recent assassination of Vice Mayor Jimmy Chua, pointing to Mayor Michael V. Fariñas of Laoag City as the gunman who accidentally killed Chua inside the Eagle's nest bar and restaurant in Barangay Salet in this city. In dela Cuesta's public statement aired over MBC-DZJC while he was still in the custody of the NBI in Manila on Friday, he said that in the interest of justice and in accordance with the dictates of his conscience, he could no longer hide the truth. He said, "at dawn of February 2, 2005, I saw Vice Mayor Jimmy Chua accidentally shot to death by Mayor Michael V. Fariñas inside the Eagle's nest restaurant." While at the restaurant, dela Cuesta reported, he had seen Fariñas open fire, using a small pistol pointing at Chua's head, in front of Fariñas's bodyguards and Col. Joel Pagdilao, who had been relieved by the regional Philippine National Police three days after the exposé came to light in this province.
| Lessee: Mayor + Vice-mayor + Alcohol + Firearms = Whoopsie! |
"I am very sorry to whoever is involved in this incident. I did not want it to happen. I didn't want to hurt Mayor Fariñas and the whole Fariñas clan. I can't take it. This is not an act of ungratefulness, but as an elected official, I should be a person of honesty and integrity. I feel that I have the moral obligation to society to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. More so, as a radio broadcaster and a print journalist, I have the obligation to the people to say the truth. Again, I am very sorry to my friend Mayor Fariñas and his whole family, including his supporters for revealing the truth regarding the killing of Vice Mayor Chua," dela Cuesta said in a long-distance call from Manila aired exclusively over the local radio station DZJZ, where dela Cuesta maintains a radio program.
Aware of the apparent threat to his life and his family after airing his statement, dela Cuesta said that he is determined to tell the truth as he pledged to the people in Laoag City and in this province to understand his "difficult" situation. On hearing dela Cuesta's exposé accusing Fariñas, Chua's bereaved family, friends and supporters were teary-eyed knowing that the killing of the Laoag vice mayor is becoming clearer to public knowledge. Many of the residents here had expressed their confidence in the star witness, hoping he would no longer change his mind "again." Senior Supt. Juan Luna of the Ilocos Norte police provincial office said that the police are still awaiting further instructions whether to serve a warrant for Fariñas's arrest owing to dela Cuesta's latest statement.
Fariñas has scheduled a press conference at press time to answer in detail dela Cuesta's accusation. Fariñas's supporters also appealed to the people not to "overreact" to dela Cuesta's latest statement and wait for the city mayor's side to be heard. "Mayor Fariñas should be treated fairly and let us not overreact to dela Cuesta's open statement. Let us not make any judgment until and unless the accused will be proven guilty," a Fariñas supporter, who declined to be identified, said.