Tuesday, January 28, 2003 

Tisoy says Chiongs have.............. abandoned him
Dionisio denies this, says family has been helping Tagalog

     The former star witness of the Chiong case got the ire of the victims' father last night after he reportedly told a broadcaster that the Chiong couple had abandoned him after the court resolved the case of their two daughters in 1999.

      In denying the allegation,   Dionisio Chiong called Davidson "Tisoy Tagalog" Rustia a "hustler" and a "liar."

     Bobby Nalzaro was in the middle of his live broadcast. over radio dySS last night when Dionisio called him up to deny what Rusia hurled against him and his wife Thelma. 

        "Gihilasan lang ko ana, Super Bob, hustler man gud nang tawhana unya bakakon pa gyud," Dionisio said of Rusia.

     Nalzaro had a phone conversation with Rusia yesterday afternoon. He told Nalzaro that he wanted to board a vessel bound for Manila but he needed money for fare, which Nalzaro refused to commit.

     Rusia also told Nalzaro that he has already been removed from the witness protection program and that since the court resolved the case of the Chiong sisters, he never got help from Dionisio and Thelma.

     "He told me he just arrived from Bohol. He had money for fare to Manila but his wallet was stolen at mm

               
DAVIDSON RUSIA, better known as Tisoy Tagalog (right), helped Thelma (left) and Dionisio Chiong in the successful prosecution of the case against the perpetuators of the crimes against the Chiong daughters. In this SUN.STAR file photo, Rusia received aid from Thelma while Rusia was still under the witness protection program.

the pier area," Nalzaro told Sun.Star in a phone interview.

     As Nalzaro related his conversation with Rusia in his nighttime program, Dionisio called him up to react. 

     Dionisio said he shouldered the down payment for the motorbike that Rusia bought from a local store, paid the pig Rusia accidentally hit while driving the motorcycle and gave him money last Christmas. Rusia was instrumental in the 1999 conviction of seven men for kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Marijoy and her older sister Jacqueline. Among those found guilty were scions of prominent Cebuano families--Juan "Paco" Larrañaga and Josman Aznar.

     They were sentenced to two terms of reclusion perpetua, at 20 to 40 years each. Their conviction is on appeal before the Supreme Court, while they are behind bars at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. 

     The Chiong sisters were last seen alive on July 16, 1997 at the Ayala Center Cebu. AIV