23 September 2005 – Ambassador Belen F. Anota of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the third court mention on the murder case against OFW Guen Garlejo Aguilar was held at 9:00 a.m. today at the Singapore Subordinate Court No. 26, where the Court decided to remand OFW Guen to the Changi Women’s Prison after the prosecution had manifested its motion that the police have completed their investigations and requested that the accused go through psychiatric evaluation.

Ambassador Anota said the defense, represented by court-appointed lawyers Shashi Nathan and Manoj Nandwani, also requested that it be allowed to have another psychiatric evaluation of OFW Guen as well as allow her husband, Edwin Aguilar, to see her once again prior to his return to Manila.   Yesterday, the lawyers had been granted access to OFW Guen at the Police Cantonment, Ambassador Anota added.

Mr. Aguilar was present at the court mention, along with the family of the victim, OFW Jane Parañgan Lapuebla, namely her husband Crusaldo Lapuebla and her aunt-guardian Sally Parañgan.  The Embassy-hired lawyer for the victim’s family, Mr. Zaheer Merchant, was also with them.

Also present at the court mention were Tagudin Mayor Roque Versoza, Ilocos Sur Provincial Board Member Jerry Singson, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption Chairman Dante Jimenez, NBI Interpol Executive Director Atty. Claro de Castro, Labor Attaché Merriam Cuasay and Welfare Officer Christabel de Leon.

Ambassador Anota reported to the Department that Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Lapuebla and Ms.  Parañgan were brought to the Embassy for further briefings after the court mention, and later left to join their respective support groups.

Ambassador Anota said that the Embassy arranged a press conference after the court mention where both Mr. Lapuebla and Mr. Aguilar were present and sitting side-by-side.  (Please refer to the accompanying photo releases.)

Ambassador Anota earlier reported that she met the Lapuebla-Parañgan family when they arrived in Singapore from Manila shortly before 6:00 p.m. yesterday.  They were then brought directly to the Embassy for a meeting and briefing, particularly on the legal and justice system of Singapore.  The family members were also introduced to Sister Mary Laetitiae, who will act as the leader of the support group organized to help the Lapuebla family in their time of grief and during their stay in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Anota said that Philippine pathologists Dr. Raquel Fortun of the Philippine General Hospital and Dr. Cesar Bisquera of the National Bureau of Investigations observed the autopsy done today on the body of OFW Jane.

Ambassador Anota remarked that Dr. Fortun has been with the UP College of Medicine since 1989 as Instructor, Assistant Professor and subsequently as Associate Professor.  She is presently a Senior Lecturer at the UP College of Law and is a Consultant in Forensic Pathology at the Philippine General Hospital.

Drs. Fortun and Bisquera have worked together in the past, and have also had professional dealings with the pathologists at the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore.

The Philippine pathologists are scheduled to return to Manila tomorrow, 24 September 2005.

Ambassador Anota further said that when the autopsy is completed, the Singapore authorities will turn over the remains of OFW Jane to the Embassy.  The Embassy, in turn, has already prepared the necessary documents for the eventual return of OFW Jane’s remains back to the Philippines so that the family may properly grieve and conduct the appropriate funeral services. END