CA convicts 2 who ‘bludgeoned’ dad of their crush
THE Court of Appeals (CA) sentenced to up to eight years in prison two men who bludgeoned nearly to the point of death, the disapproving father of a girl they had been courting.
In its resolution dated June 21, the CA dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by Janicel V. Dela Cruz, a.k.a. Bong, and Jury Joven on the CA’s July 16, 2021 decision.
The appellate court, however, reduced the sentence on the two to eight years on their conviction for frustrated murder by the Puerto Princesa, Palawan Regional Trial Court Branch 47 on November 8, 2019.
The Palawan court had originally sentenced the two to up to 14 years in prison and PHP120,000 in damages to their victim, Edgardo Erlandez. The two’s sole defense was that the injury sustained by Edgardo was not fatal and that there was no intent to kill on their part.
Court records showed that Erlandez had confronted the two men who were sitting outside his gate on July 14, 2005 around 9:20 p.m. and as he left to go back inside Janicel struck him on the head with a liquor bottle.
The two men then fled as the victim lay unconscious until their neighbors brought Erlandez to the hospital.
Bad blood between the father and the men started when the victim’s daughter had caught the eye of one of the assailant, Janicel, and had sought permission from the parents to take the daughter to church.
The father, however, learned that the man took his daughter to the house of his aunt prompting the two never to see each other again.
On the witness stand, the girl denied she is the man’s lover and clarified that they were just friends. Philippine News Agency
