TAYUG—The Regional Trial Court has acquitted a councilor of San Quintin and his policeman cousin who were accused of attempted murder on the complaint of a police superintendent from the town.

Acquitted in a decision penned by Judge Emma Ines-Parajas of Branch 52 here were Councilor Leonardo Liwanag, a former policeman with the rank of SPO4, and his cousin, Chief Inspector Ramon Liwanag.

The two were accused of assaulting P/Superintendent Marlou Chan, a native of San Quintin but now assigned with the Police Regional Office in La Union, in the afternoon of May 16, 2001 in front of the legislative building in San Quintin.

Chan complained that Councilor Liwanag, who was newly elected then, collared him and pointed a handgun to his forehead while Chief Inspector Liwanag held the victim’s arm.

In acquitting the Liwanag cousins, the court stated that it cannot convict the accused for physical injuries, a crime which is necessarily included in attempted murder.

At the same time, Judge Parajas stated that the allegation of the Information that the accused inflicted injuries on the private complainant was not established

The court established that there was a verbal tussle between Chan and Liwanag who were grappling for a gun when pacified by Chief of Police Leonardo Tamondong.

In deciding the case, the court ruled out intent to kill by the accused, believing that if the Liwanags really intended to kill Chan, they could have done so with ease as they were both armed.

Moreover, the court noted that while the prosecution was able to prove Chan’s injuries through his medical certificate, it failed to prove that the accused inflicted them.

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