BANGUED, Abra—The acting provincial prosecutor of this province has recommended the filing of murder charges against congressional candidate and incumbent La Paz Mayor Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos and his father, Danglas Vice Mayor Andres Bernos, after finding probable cause against them as principals in the murder of a 22-year-old male individual in 2002.
In a four-page resolution penned by Assistant Provincial Prosecutor of Ilocos Norte and Acting Abra Provincial Prosecutor Rommel G. Calupig believes that the filing of the said cases against the father and son is not procedurally infirm but is allowed under existing jurisprudence.
As to the issue of the belated execution of the affidavit of Mario Suibal to the killing of a certain Joel Afos, Calupig pointed out the same had been sufficiently explained by him that is he feared for his life.
“Delay in reporting what a person had witnessed when adequately explained does not impair his credibility,” Calupig stressed.
He added a suspect in a crime need not be named by a witness in a hurried manner and delay or vacillation in making a criminal accusation does not necessarily adulterate the credibility of a witness, thus, the initial reluctance of witnesses to volunteer information about a criminal case and their unwillingness to be involved in criminal investigations out of fear of reprisal are common and have not been judicially declared to affect credibility.