The man who was tagged in the killing of his 12-year-old niece was freed from jail after the girl’s family withdrew the case against him.
Murder charges were filed against Reynaldo Urbano after Mhyrraquel Singson, a student from St. Benedict School of Novaliches, was found dead with her throat slit in their house at Barangay 171, Bagumbong, Caloocan City on Jan. 23.
However, Assistant Caloocan City Prosecutor Armando Cavalida dismissed the case after “new pieces of circumstantial evidence” appeared, pointing to another person of interest.
Court records showed that barangay officials obtained a closed circuit television footage (CCTV) showing the person of interest standing in front of the Singson family’s house the day Mhyrraquel was killed.
“To do otherwise would not only be an exercise in futility, but practically traversing the road of injustice,” the resolution, dated Feb. 15, read.
The person of interest’s mother even appeared before Cavalida’s office to say that she is willing to let her son undergo investigation.
Colenso Singson, Mhyrraquel’s father, told the Manila Bulletin that the case is now being handled by the National Bureau of Investigation. “Let’s just wait and see,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing now.”
But Senior Supt. Restituto Arcangel, Caloocan police chief, said he remained unconvinced that Urbano was not the one behind the crime. (Minka Tiangco)
