Mentor decries false reports

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THE CITY POLICE are still clueless on the killer of Mecy Rose B. Onod, a 3rd year high school student of Grace Christian School, this city, who was gunned down Tuesday last week, as they admitted difficulty in identifying, much more arresting, the killer.

Police Inspector Adriano Bacus told the TIMES last Thursday that they have invited several suspects for questioning, including Julius Hubac, a former teacher of Onod at the Infant King Academy (IKA) in Cortes, Bohol.

Bacus clarified that there is no strong evidence to hold Hubac liable.

He said they questioned Hubac about his whereabouts at the time the incident happened.

Apparently, the information provided by Hubac tallied when they checked with other sources.

Bacus said they didn’t even bring Hubac to the police station because they were satisfied with his answers.

He said they are continuing the probe as they urged those who witnessed the incident to help the police.

Meanwhile, Hubac lamented that he is unfairly treated on the killing of Onod.

In some newspaper accounts, he said he is even falsely portrayed as a fugitive from justice.

He told the TIMES that while it is true that he was accused of sexual molestation under RA 7610 by Onod sometime on November 25, 2008 before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, the charge was later dismissed.

Inquest Prosecutor Ponciano Uy gave more credence to the testimony of the defense witnesses, which included Rev. Fr. Virgilio Salas and Ms. Margarita Lomod, School Director and Principal, respectively, of IKA.

Salas and Lomod jointly testified that they did not “believe about the allegations against Mr. Julius Hubac as truthful, based on the testimony of students who were inside the Computer Room on November 25, 2008 from 2 to 5 in the afternoon.”

The Principal of IKA also attested during the investigation before Prosecutor Uy that she “directed Mr. Julius Hubac on September 15, 2008 to conduct an investigation on the alleged drinking activities of 2nd year and 4th Year students, including Mecy Rose Onod.”

Both Salas and Lomod also testified that Hubac “has indeed conducted an investigation on the drinking activities of 2nd Year and 4th Year students including Mecy Rose Onod. In fact, the investigation is still pending and Mr. Hubac has not yet submitted the result of his investigation.”

Hubac said the possibility that she would be suspended over her drinking activities might have prompted Mecy Rose Onod to falsely accuse him of sexual molestation.

Reversal

When the case was elevated for review before the Department of Justice in Manila, the reviewing prosecutor reversed the finding of the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor of Bohol and directed the filing of an Information for the lighter offense of Acts of Lasciviousness, instead of violation of RA 7610.

Hubac said the reversal was very mysterious.

During the inquest, Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Uy personally saw and heard the testimony and demeanor of the witnesses.

As such, Hubac said, Prosecutor Uy was in the best position to ascertain whether the witnesses were lying or not.

But the reviewing prosecutor in Manila who merely relied on the written testimony of the witnesses, without seeing or hearing them in person, overturned and reversed Uy’s actual observation with his own, Hubac said.

This is very anomalous, Hubac added.

He said that while he understood the pain and misery of the parents of Mecy Rose Onod over her untimely loss, they should exercise caution in their statement to the local media.

Hubac also debunked claims in some media reports that he is the subject of a police manhunt.

“I am not hiding, the police know where to contact me and I have already extended full cooperation when they invited me for questioning. God knows I have nothing to do with the killing,” Hubac said.

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