THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed murder charges before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Taguig City against a house help who was found responsible for sending a gift bomb to a businesswoman in Taguig City last year that killed the latter.

In an 11-page resolution signed by Associate Prosecution Attorney II Gerard Gaerlan and approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, the DOJ found probable cause to indict respondent house help Rhea Coroza Dalde-Obra for murder and for illegal possession of an explosive.

The murder charge stemmed from the complaint filed by Vinson Chua, husband of victim Yvonne Yvette Geraldine Giselle Padilla-Chua.

 “The crime committed against the complainant’s wife is murder. From the evidence gathered by the PNP [Philippine National Police], the explosive used for the bombing was a fragmentation hand grenade, a weapon intended to inflict fatal injuries to its target. It is, therefore, inherent from this weapon used by respondent that there was intent to kill on her part,” the resolution said.

The DOJ said Dalde-Obra’s defense of denial and alibi were weak and were not sufficient to overcome the positive identification of the complainant’s witness.

The DOJ gave credence to the testimony of security guard Reynaldo Busalanan, who was manning the complainant’s old residence in Pascor Subdivision, barangay Sto. Nino in Paranaque City.

Busalanan positively identified Dalde-Obra as the one who delivered the gift bomb at the complainant’s old residence, claiming that it came from the victim’s mother.

The next day, the gift-bomb was handed over to the complainant’s family driver, who, in turn, delivered it to the Chua residence in barangay Bambang, Taguig City.

On the morning of December 29, the gift bomb exploded at Chua’s house with Yvonne’s bloodied body found sprawled on the floor.

Dalde-Obra previously worked as a house help of Arnold Padilla, the brother-in-law of Vinson Chua, according to Vinson’s affidavit.

“The positive identification of the respondent as the person who delivered the gift in this case made by the complainant’s witness, security guard Busalanan, must be given full credence,” the resolution added.

The DOJ said there is no reason for Busalanan to make a malicious and false identification of the respondent.