Prosecutors find basis to file slew of charges vs Kawit gunman's cohort

By AMITA O. LEGASPI, GMA News

Published January 9, 2013 1:19pm

(Updated 2:21 p.m.) Provincial prosecutors in Cavite found enough evidence Wednesday to lodge a slew of charges against the companion of the gunman who killed seven people in a shooting rampage in Kawit town last week. In a five-page resolution, provincial prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco approved the filing of the following charges against John Paul Lopez:

five counts of murder
two counts of murder in relation to the women and children's protection act
seven counts frustrated murder
four counts frustrated murder in relation to the women and children's protection act
two counts attempted murder
one count attempted murder in relation to the women and children's protection act
illegal possession of firearms, and
violation of comprehensive anti-drug law

The charges are expected to be filed before the Imus Regional Trial Court later in the day. Lopez, 27, was the cohort of gunman Ronald Bae when Bae went on a shooting rampage in his neighborhood in Tabon 1 last January 4. Seven people were killed while 11 others were wounded in the incident. Bae was killed by responding policemen.

No bail was recommend for Lopez.

Velasco said it can be inferred from the testimonies of several witnesses that Bae and Lopez intended to shoot and kill any person they would chance upon on that day.

“As can be gleaned from the facts, respondent Lopez had demonstrated the same purpose with Bae because he never left the latter during the entire length of the murderous rampage,” he said.

Witnesses saw Lopez helping Bae reload his cal-.45 pistol during the shooting spree.

“This [act] demonstrated his approval to the criminal intention of Bae to kill as many people as possible,” Velasco said.

“Respondent Lopez had all the opportunity to escape while Bae was mercilessly shooting several people but he did not,” he added.

Velasco believed Lopez “was very knowledgeable of the intention of Bae” since they were drinking together prior to the shooting and even reloaded the latter's gun. These acts qualified Lopez as “principal by indispensable cooperation in the commission of the multiple killing.”

Lopez is currently detained at the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Detection Group facility in Imus, Cavite. Among those killed by Bae, who was reportedly drunk at the time of the shooting, were two children and a pregnant woman. — KBK, GMA News

Tags: shootingrampage, juanpaullopez, ronaldbae, rpcrimes,