THE wheels of justice have started spinning for a seaman-businessman in the city of Candon who was killed on Father's Day in 2023.

An ocular inspection of the area where 43-year-old Patrick Abdon was shot to death has been scheduled for February 27 by Ilocos Sur Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 23 Presiding Judge Richard Domingo after the lone witness to the crime testified in court for the first time on Wednesday, January 17.

Abdon, a resident of Sevilla village in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, was killed on the night of June 18. The suspect, 38-year-old Glorioso Jeff Suyat Cauton, married and a resident of Poblacion Sur in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur is currently detained at the Ilocos Sur Provincial Jail.

The lone witness, who is being sheltered in a safe house for security reasons, accompanied Abdon to the house of Cauton on the night of the shooting.

He said when they arrived at Cauton's house, Abdon instructed him to stay inside the vehicle, a white Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The witness said he heard the victim calling for the suspect who was inside the house at that time. Shortly after, he heard a series of gunshots.

He said he later saw Abdon rolling on the grass in front of the house.

The witness further told the court that the light from a nearby lamppost enabled him to positively identify Cauton as the one who shot the victim multiple times.

He said he panicked because of what he just witnessed. He added this prompted him to jump from the passenger seat to the driver's seat to get away. He was able to drive the car for about a hundred meters but the engine stalled, so he was forced to run away for his safety instead.

The reason for the killing has not been established but the counsel of the victim's family, Emmanuel Solis 3rd of Divinagracia Solis and Associates Law Offices, said the motive of the accused is immaterial, not being an element of the crime.

Solis pointed out that motive only becomes important when the evidence of the commission of the crime is purely circumstantial.

Abdon's family has sought protection for the witness from Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.

Ilocos Sur Police Provincial Office chief LtCol. Rogelio Remiendo Jr. subsequently assigned a police mobile team, led by SSgt. Jovanie Crisolo, to secure the lone witness during the trial upon Acorda's orders.

Judge Domingo set the next trial for February 28, a day after conducting the ocular inspection.

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