Court convicts cops in murder of ex-Sariaya mayor's son, companion

The Lucena City Regional Trial Court on Thursday convicted three former police officers for the March 2019 killing of a mayor's son and his companion.

The three — former Tayabas City Police Station chief Police Colonel Mark Joseph Laygo, Police Corporal Lonald Sumalpong, and Patrolman Roberto Legaspi — were convicted for double murder and sentenced to double life imprisonment, a lawyer of the victim's family said.

The three were charged for the killing of Christian Gayeta, son of then-Sariaya, Quezon mayor Marcelo Gayeta, and his companion Christopher Manalo.

The decision was issued by Judge Dennis Orendain of the Lucena RTC Branch 53.

"Ang naging hatol dalawang kaso, isang kaso sa pagpatay kay Christian Gayeta at isang kaso sa pagpatay kay Christopher Manalo," said Crisanto Buela, lawyer for the Gayeta family, said.

(The decision was for two cases, one was for the killing of Christian Gayeta and the other case for the killing of Christopher Manalo.)

“Bawat isa, life imprisonment doon sa tatlo, bawat isa sa kanila. Doon sa isang kaso life imprisonment din doon sa tatlong tao. Kaya bale dalawang life imprisonment ang tinanggap nila,” he added.

(Each of the three is sentenced to life imprisonment. They are also sentenced to life imprisonment for the other case. So they received two sentences of life imprisonment.)

The case stemmed from the killing of Christian, then 21 years old, and Manalo in an alleged shootout with police officers who responded to reports of indiscriminate firing at a gasoline station in Barangay Baguio, Tayabas on March 14, 2019.

A probe conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, showed that the two were already in police custody when killed.

Former mayor Gayeta welcomed the decision, saying they waited a long time for it.

“Napakatagal naming inintay itong araw na ito… bilang na bilang ng mga anak ko ang bawat araw. Tuwang-tuwa kami, siyempre,” Gayeta said.

(We waited for a long time for this… my children counted each day. We are happy.)

“Bagama’t hindi na babalik ‘yung anak ko, alam ko na maraming buhay pa ang nai-save namin dahil ginamit lang ‘yung anak ko upang nang sa ganoon ay maputol na ang kalapasatangang ginawa ng mga datihang pulis na ‘yan,” he said.

(Even though this will not bring back my son, I know that we were able to save more lives because my son was used to end the abuse of these former police officers.) —Peewee Bacuño with Joahna Lei Casilao/KBK, GMA Integrated News