Murder rap filed vs doctor in Pizarro killing

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has charged with murder the suspect in the 2020 killing of retired Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Normandie Pizarro.

The murder complaint against Dr. Ramon Tayag Pangan was filed before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on March 23, and a copy of it was obtained by The Manila Times.

Named as complainants were the NBI, represented by Agents Zack Hansel Balba, Paul Bacon and Mar Santos, and the son of the slain magistrate, Normandie B. Pizarro Jr.
The body of the magistrate was found by authorities in Sitio Palublub, Barangay Lawy, Cristo Rey, Capas, Tarlac. He had been shot once in the back of the head. His body was also mutilated.

Based on the facts of the case, Pizarro had fetched Pangan earlier that day at Puregold, Clark, Pampanga. “They were alone in the car until the time that Revie (Yumang), who was the last person who talked to the victim, claimed that the phone of the victim was unattended at around 11:28 a.m. of October 23, 2020.”

In charging Pangan with murder, the complaint alleges that there was premeditation, based on Pangan’s extra-judicial confession prepared by his lawyer, Shelamarie Beltran.

In the December 11, 2020 confession, Pangan admitted he planned the killing of Pizarro. He said he conspired with three unidentified persons in bringing Pizarro to Sitio Palublub where he and his companions killed him.

As further evidence of premeditation, Pangan had befriended Pizarro to gain his trust.
Pangan cut off the right hand and left fingers of the victim and stripped him of his clothes, according to the complaint.

Pangan also participated in the re-enactment of the crime, and “after having been haunted by his conscience, he freely executed an extra judicial confession.”

The suspect insisted he could not identify his companions because they wore masks.

While Pangan’s confession “may have been replete with falsities and inconsistencies, it cannot be denied that he made a narration of events and circumstances that only a person who had participated in the killing would know. He knew the manner of killing, the position of the cadaver and the place where the body and vehicle were dumped. Taken all together, his knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the killing of Associate Justice Pizarro is certain and categorical, proving his primary involvement in the killing and no other,” the complaint stated.

The NBI also took into account the written statement of a certain Raul Concepcion that the associate justice confided to him in a text message the unpaid loans of Pangan amounting to P90,000.