Almost ten years since his detention and trial as the primary suspect in the celebrated murder case of businessman Richard King in 2014, Col. Leonardo Felonia finally walked into freedom on Tuesday.
With a decision handed down by the Regional Trial Court Branch 14 of Davao City through Presiding Judge Gerardo C. Braganza dated February 7, 2023, the Court ruled that the Prosecution failed to prove with moral certainty that Felonia was the Principal by Inducement in the murder.
The case may still drag on to appeal depending on what happens in the reglementary period to file an appeal by the prosecution.
Felonia’s acquittal was a result of a solid defense anchored on the weight of forensic evidence. In criminal cases, forensic evidence play a critical role in proving the innocence or guilt of a party. To Felonia’s advantage, object evidence presented by his team of counsel led by lawyer Caesar Europa Jr outweighed the testimonial evidence relied upon by the prosecution.
Objects don’t lie, as Europa would point out.
Nevertheless, we can expect the prosecution to take the case to the appellate court in the hope of reversing the decision. By the looks of it, this case is not going to end here.
Felonia has spent his last nine years behind bars where he should have completed his tour of duty as police officer. He has lost salary and benefits during those years he languished in jail. He was also denied off his chance to move up in the ranks of the PNP service.
Even as a free man, Felonia is unlikely to be reinstated as he is already of retirement age. That part of his saga will have to be left to his legal team handling the administrative side of his case.
This story has told us the sad fate of cops when faced with legal imbroglio. Yes there are bad cops and good cops as any basket of eggs will be. But it’s a reality and risk that men in uniform will have to face.
