Filipinos accused of murder granted bail

THE six Filipino men accused of murdering the National Fisheries Authority observer on board their fishing vessel, Dolores 838 on March 29 this year on the Bismarck Sea between the PNG and Indonesian border, have been granted bail by the Waigani National Court.
They are Ramil Lumactod, Bonfacio Gelvoleo, Franz Oliva Oyao, Jerwin Famini, Francisco Monsale and Jun Alon.
Justice David Cannings presiding at the Waigani National Court yesterday heard application from the counsel for the applicants, Madang-based private lawyer, Young Wadau who made the application in their absence.
State prosecutor Nicholas Miviri argued against the granting of their bail on the grounds that as they were foreigners, that the “temptation for fleeing was always there”.
But Wadau argued that their passports were with the authorities and that their guarantors were the senior vice-president, the resident director and the human resource manager of the RD Fishing (PNG) Ltd, who valued their corporate position in the country and would ensure that the accused were present for the current court hearings in court.
Cannings said he was inclined to be in agreement with the applicants’ counsel and in saying so, granted the applicants K500 bail each.
If they fail to uphold the court’s conditions, their guarantors would be penalised K10,000 for each of them.
The facts of case are that the deceased, Charlie Lasisi, boarded the fishing vessel on March 3 for inspections and monitoring of the activities which is their regular roles as NFA officers or representatives.
He, however, went missing on March 31.
Court documents show that just prior to him going g missing there had been some drinking going on, he had left to go to the ship’s mess but did not return.