Degamo slay suspects willing to talk – PNP

MANILA, Philippines — Four suspects arrested for the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight others have voiced willingness to cooperate in pinpointing the mastermind, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said yesterday.

At a press briefing, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told reporters they have “uncovered promising leads from evidence and testimonies that will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the identification of key players in this multiple murder case.”

‘The four suspects arrested on Saturday afternoon, barely six hours after the shooting, have expressed willingness to cooperate in the investigation,” he told reporters in Filipino.

A public attorney from the Department of Justice has been assisting the suspects in preparing their sworn statements and legal documents, he added.

“These arrested suspects provided information that led to the recovery of the large cache of assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades, handguns, ammunition, and body armor vests, all believed to have been used in the attack on Governor Degamo’s residence in Municipality of Pamplona,” he said.

The PNP’s Regional Forensic Group for Central Visayas is conducting a forensic examination on the recovered weapons and equipment, as well as on the three getaway vehicles earlier found abandoned in Barangay Cansumalig, Bayawan City.

“It was in this same barangay that the three suspects were arrested on Saturday afternoon, and from where the stockpile of weapons were recovered on Saturday evening, following an armed encounter with an unidentified suspect who died in the engagement with a composite PNP and AFP tracker teams,” he said.

At the same briefing, Azurin expressed belief the attack was “well-planned” because the suspects were well armed and were all in military outfit.

He, however, declined to disclose details regarding the mastermind as follow-up operations were still ongoing.

“These are hardened criminals, obviously well prepared for this crime, they know that there is a security package protecting the governor so their intention was really to overcome the security,” Lt. Col. Gerard Pelare, spokesman for the Special Investigation Task Force on Degamo’s case, said.

“We are looking at around six to eight more suspects. If we are going to base it on the account of the witnesses, on the video footage that we acquired we have 10 to 12 suspects,” he said.

The police arrested four suspects and killed another supposedly during a firefight.

Yesterday, the police filed multiple murder and frustrated murder charges against the suspects.

“Tracker teams continue to scour the hinterlands of Bayawan City all the way to the borders of adjacent jurisdictions with the help of police and military maneuver units stationed in the province which resulted in the arrest of the fourth suspect,” Azurin said.

“Joint PNP-AFP checkpoints are continuously being done all over the province to limit the movements of the remaining suspects and other criminal elements,” he added. The police will also look into the possible culpability of Degamo’s security.

Under evaluation

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is evaluating statements of two of three suspects to see whether they can be placed under its witness protection program (WPP).

DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Ty and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos bared in a press conference yesterday that criminal complaints for multiple murders and violation of the firearms regulation act have been filed before the Office of the Prosecutor of Dumaguete and Bayawan against Joven Aber, 42; Benjie Rodriguez, 45 and Joric Labrador, 50.

Two of them, whom the DOJ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) did not identify, are being considered for the WPP.

“In line with our efforts to prevent further injustice to the innocent victims and their families and for their protection, two witnesses to the case have already been referred to the witness protection program,” Ty told reporters.

DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano said prosecutors are currently evaluating the statements of the pair to see whether their statements could lead to the arrest of other possible suspects, including masterminds, which could land them under the WPP.

“First, we need to evaluate their statements so we can assess and if ever, determine whether their statements would be useful or have a basis. We can enter them into the DOJ’s witness protection program then,” Clavano said.

Ty said the DOJ was coordinating with the DILG and PNP for the transfer of the two suspects to Metro Manila for protective custody. However, the DOJ has not yet responded to queries whether it would ask for the transfer of the criminal proceedings or the subsequent trial to a Metro Manila court.

“The DOJ is ready to take on this case for further investigation,” he said.

Gunmen killed Degamo Saturday morning while on an aid distribution activity in his residence in Pamplona. Eight others present in the event also died while several others, including provincial officials, were injured.

The three suspects were arrested the same day following joint operations by the police and the Philippine Army. Seven high-powered firearms used in the attack were confiscated during the operations.

Abalos said they would be focusing on sniffing out the mastermind. “The most important thing here of all is that we really catch the brain here, the mastermind. We will not stop until justice is achieved for the victims,” the DILG secretary said.

He also urged other suspects to surrender to authorities.

“You know, those involved in this, first of all, I am calling on you. Your accomplices have been caught. If I were you, it’s better for you to surrender because apart from those who have been caught, bounties for your arrest are starting to come up too,” Abalos said.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced a P5 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of individuals involved in the governor’s assassination.

“It is difficult to divulge the details as the investigation is ongoing but one thing is for sure, we are looking at all possible angles,” Abalos added.

“If you have other information, it will be a big help in the ongoing investigation,” he said.

According to Abalos, he has directed the PNP to ensure maximum police mobility.

“All the mobile cars should be visible in every corner and police should go out and be more visible as police visibility will ensure immediate response,” he added.

Abalos said that based on the CCTV footage, at least 10 individuals were behind the killing of Degamo. – Neil Jayson Servallos, DM