Prosecutor wants security guard to face trial on Aeta's slay

The Aklan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office is urging a security guard of the Crown Regency resort-hotel here to face the murder trial as prime suspect in the killing of an Aeta spokesman in February this year.

In a four-page resolution, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Reynaldo Peralta said the murder case filed against suspect Daniel Celestino is proper.

The Kalibo Regional Trial Court is expected to issue a warrant of arrest against the suspect soon.

At least four witnesses came forward alleging that they saw Celestino in the area where the victim Dexter Condez, then 26, has been assassinated.

The resolution was signed by Peralta on July 3 yet, but it was only released on July 29 at the request of the media.

Earlier, Celestino together with the lawyers of the Crown Regency faced the media, denying his participation in the said killing.

Celestino said he is willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence.

Peralta said he received the result of the lie detector test confirming that Celestino is telling the truth, but he said the suspect should still answer the allegations of the four witnesses in the trial court.

The Boracay Ati Tribal Organization has condemned the killing of Condez and accused the management of the Crown Regency as behind the death of their spokesman. The Crown Regency is allegedly interested in the lot currently occupied by the BATO.

The BATO is occupying a piece of land in this resort-island through the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) given to them by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

The Crown Regency management has continuously denied its involvement in the killing of Condez.