'Hello Garci' audio expert Tiongco killed in mishap

(Update 3:30 p.m.) Jonathan Tiongco, who was presented as an audio expert by defeated senatorial candidate Michael Defensor during the "Hello, Garci!" wiretap controversy, was killed in an early Saturday morning (not Sunday as earlier reported) car mishap in Quezon City. Tiongco, 36, died because of multiple fractures after his Toyota Avanza car (ZHE 466) collided with a dump truck along Commonwealth Avenue. He was brought to the Far Eastern University Hospital in Fairview for treatment but he died eventually. His body now lies in state at the St. Peter Chapels along Quezon Avenue. Media men were prevented from entering the premises upon the request of family members themselves. Tiongco gained prominence when he was introduced by then Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Mike Defensor as an audio expert who would prove that the Hello Garci tapes were "spliced." Tiongco was said to have studied in Japan and had a 13-year experience in digital audio engineering. However, police records showed that Tiongco had a string of criminal cases ranging from grave threats to murder. According to a PNP dossier, Jonathan Mallorca Tiongco had 11 criminal cases either pending in or resolved by various courts in Iloilo, Pampanga, and different cities in Metro Manila as of 2003. The cases include murder and frustrated murder, homicide, illegal possession of firearm, carnapping, grave threat, and estafa. Tiongco also used several aliases, namely: Jaytee, JT, Jeff, Jonathan Monarca Tiongco, and John Thomas Mendoza Tiongco. Six of the cases were dismissed by the courts either for lack of interest on the part of the complainants or after Tiongco secured a settlement. He was acquitted in one case while one case was archived after police failed to locate Tiongco. As of 2003, three cases were still being heard. Tiongco was born in Jaro, Iloilo and maintained residences in Fairview, Quezon City and San Fernando, Pampanga. He had four children. - GMANews.TV