2 more witnesses in Anria Espiritu rape-slay case surface

Two more witnesses in the Anria Espiritu rape-slay case have come out to give their testimonies to authorities to bolster the case against the arrested suspects, a television report said Thursday. 

A report on GMA News TV's News to Go quoted Calumpit, Bulacan police as saying that one of the witnesses saw suspects Elmer Joson, Ramil Diarca and Melvin Ulam eating together in an eatery, contrary to earlier claims of three that they did not know each other.

 

The other witness, meanwhile, told police that the screwdriver recovered from the crime scene was the same tool borrowed from him by Diarca.

 

The Calumpit Police said the testimonies of the two new witnesses would corroborate the testimony of the first witness who came out late last month.

 

The first witness earlier said he saw Espiritu board a jeepney being driven by Diarca between midnight of August 13 or before dawn of August 14.

 

The witness also identified Joson as the one who boarded the jeepney after Espiritu.

 

It was at noon of August 14 when the body of Espiritu was found in a ricefield in Calumpit bearing multiple stab wounds.

 

The three suspects are currently detained at the Bulacan Provincial Jail. They all have pleaded “not guilty” to the rape and murder charges filed against them.

 

Meanwhile, police said they are now gathering more evidence against the fourth suspect identified only as alias “Kalbo,” who remains at large. — Elizabeth Marcelo/RSJ, GMA News