Court convicts 19 in 2003 kidnap-slay of Coke exec

A Quezon City court on Tuesday sentenced 19 people to life imprisonment after being found guilty of kidnapping and killing a Filipino-Chinese Coca-Cola executive in November 2003. Presiding Judge Alexander Balut of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 76 found the accused guilty of kidnap-for-ransom with homicide, according to GMA News reporter Julius Segovia. The judge also ordered the convicted individuals - two of them are women - to pay P50,000 each in moral damages and P70,000 in civil indemnity to the family of their victim Betty Chua-Sy. Chua-Sy, 31, was abducted on Nov. 17, 2003 in Quezon City. Her body was later found stuffed in a garbage plastic bag that was dumped in Parañaque City.

The television report said only 16 of the 19 accused attended the promulgations, because the 3 remaining suspects had earlier been convicted for separate crimes. The victim's mother, Maria, could not help but break into tears when the decision was read, especially since Betty was her oldest child and only daughter. As for the victim's brother, Walter, the decision could not have come at a better time, saying they consider the ruling a Christmas gift to their family. He also said his family had a hint that the court would rule in their favor, especially since the suspects themselves have reportedly started turning against each other during the course of the trial. - Mark Merueñas/LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV