Nida Blanca murder

Veteran actress Nida Blanca was found dead inside her car at the 6th floor parking lot of Atlanta Center in Greenhills, San Juan. Blanca's body bore 13 stab wounds. The government has yet to secure the extradition of the principal accused Roger Lawrence Strunk, Blanca's husband. Strunk left for the United States in January 2002 to attend to his ailing mother in California. In a letter of undertaking, he personally assured authorities that he would return to the Philippines after the visit, but he did not. The government’s first request for his extradition was dismissed by the US District Court in November 2003. Strunk's co-accused, Philip Medel is already in prison. Katherine "Kay" Torres, Blanca's daughter, has repeatedly complained about the slow progress on the case. The panel of Department of Justice prosecutors handling the case, headed by Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Leah Tanodra-Armamento, filed their resignation in September 2006, saying they can no longer work smoothly with Torres. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez turned down the resignation. However, he appointed panel vice chair Senior State Prosecutor Theodore Villanueva as chairman, replacing Armamento. Panel members Christine Perolino and Rolando Ramirez were also retained. This the the fourth group to handle the case. The three previous panels were replaced at the request of Torres.