The Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 42 has found two cop murder suspects guilty.

In a 13-page decision of Judge Fernando Elumba, the court found Gilbert Batayola and Rafael Hipty guilty with murder and was sentenced to a penalty of reclusion perpetua, or a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment for the death of Police Officer 1 Engilbert Guadaña.

Batayola and Hipty will serve their sentence at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City.

According to former Councilor Caesar Distrito, legal counsel of the family of the deceased policeman, on May 30, 2010 the victim with fellow police officers responded to a complaint of a stabbing incident in Jayme Street, Mansilingan, Bacolod City.

Guadaña confronted Batayola and Hipty at the compound of the Home for the Blind butboth individuals took turns at stabbing him in which the victim suffered 10 stab wounds resulting his death.

The decision said that the testimony of the witnesses and the evidence show that the accused acted in concert and with a unity of purpose to kill Guadaña as after accused Hipty stabbed the said police officer, Batayola also took the opportunity to inflict harm by also stabbing him.

“Finally, justice had been served to Guadana, whom such a young but promising career had been stopped by such treacherous acts of the suspects. They deserved such highest penalty that can be imposed under our law,” Distrito added./DGB, WDJ