MANILA, Philippines — Another suspect in the massacre that killed former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others walked back his testimony saying that — like others implicated in the case — he was forced to confess his supposed participation, his lawyer said Friday.
Joven Javier, one of the alleged gunmen in the carnage at Degamo’s residence in Pamplona town last March, is now denying that he planned and participated in the crime and that he was among those who stayed at properties owned by the family of beleaguered Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Negros Oriental) following the killing.
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“He recanted his first statement prepared March 5, 2023 in Negros Oriental before police officers conducting the investigation that he had participated in the gruesome crime, killing 10 people and wounding several others,” Javier’s lawyer Danny Villanueva told ABS-CBN News Channel.
Villanueva alleged that Javier was tortured by members of the Philippine Army and Negros Oriental police to admit that he had a hand in the killings.
Villanueva added that when Javier was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation, the suspect was “persuaded” to go into the Witness Protection Program as a state witness against other suspects, a certain Marvin Miranda and Rep. Teves, who is accused of masterminding the massacre.
“Mr. Javier was qualified to be a state witness against others who are being pointed to as responsible for the Pamplona massacre. That is the reason why up to this time no case has been filed against Mr. Javier,” Villanueva said.
Javier is the fifth suspect in the Pamplona killings who has recanted sworn statements that implicated Teves in the crime. Before him, four alleged gunmen — Jhudiel Rivero, Romel Pattaguan, Dahniel Lora and Rogelio Antipolo Jr. — disavowed their earlier statements.
Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said it is “very possible” that Teves, who still refuses to return to the Philippines supposedly out of fear for his life, may be behind the string of recantations in the Pamplona murders.
“We think there’s a bit of play from their part to discredit the evidence, the case and the DOJ,” Clavano said Thursday.
Still, the DOJ is confident that their evidence is enough to support the multiple murder, attempted and frustrated murder charges against Teves. — Xave Gregorio with reports from The STAR/Neil Jayson Servallos