Medel not tortured says official

Philip Medel, the self-confessed killer of actress Nida Blanca was not tortured, and there was no reason for him to recant his testimony that the actress' husband Rod Strunk masterminded the killing as he earlier said in a sworn statement before the Philippine National Police, said National Bureau of Investigation Director Reynaldo Wycoco.

Medel also passed the lie detector test, said Wycoco. He did not specify if Medel was telling the truth when he admitted he was hired to kill Blanca, or when he said he was tortured and told by the police to admit the killing and implicate Strunk.

Medel also passed the psychiatric test even if he has mild to moderate "hypomanic episode, characterised by over talkativeness and sleeplessness," said Wycoco, adding Medel was not mad at all.

The findings have vindicated the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal and Investigation detection group (CIDG) which was assigned to handle the case, said CIDG Chief Thompson Lantion.

Medel's earlier confession will be part of the evidence to be re-submitted to the justice department once the case is refilled. It means the preliminary investigation for Strunk and other witnesses implicated by Medel will be called again for preliminary investigation at the justice department, said Lantion.

Meanwhile, Medel testified in a suburban Quezon City court saying his friend, Mike Martinez, is being hidden by the police, adding the latter was presented to him at midnight of November 19, while he was detained at the CIDG office in Camp Crame police headquarters in Quezon City.

Three CIDG officers accompanied Martinez at that time, Medel said.

Medel's testimony was in response to the writ of habeas corpus filed by the Martinez family in court. Martinez was abducted from his subdivision residence in southern suburban Paranaque in the morning of November 19.

Medel earlier said Martinez called him up to meet an American national, Strunk, who wanted someone killed, in the afternoon of November 6.

He claimed that Strunk opened Blanca's empty car on the 6th floor of the Atlanta Condominium building where he was told to wait for his victim. Blanca had arrived at the parking lot at one in the morning of November 7.

By that time, Blanca and Strunk, who was then with two other mannish-looking women, had an argument over papers she was supposed to sign but could not present. This prompted the husband to box the wife and eventually gave the order for Medel to stab her to death.