3 Degamo murder suspects convicted

MANILA, Philippines — A Manila court has convicted three men involved in the murder of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said yesterday.

In a resolution dated Aug. 18, Judge Rebecca Guillen-Ubaña of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 40 found Joric Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez and Joven Javier guilty of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives.

Labrador was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for the illegal possession of firearms.

The court revoked his gun license and barred him from applying for a new one.

Rodriguez and Javier were sentenced to life in prison for unlawful possession of explosives.

Authorities had seized from the accused a .45- caliber pistol, two magazines, 14 live ammunition and two hand grenades.

According to DOJ Secretary Fredderick Vida, the court upheld the validity of the warrantless arrests after it determined that “the recovered items were properly identified and their handling was sufficiently established through the testimonies of the police and other witnesses.”

In March 2023, Degamo and nine others were killed during an aid distribution in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

Former Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is detained for multiple murder charges, was tagged as the alleged mastermind.

“My heart carries both pain and hope,” said Rep. Janice Degamo, widow of the former governor. “For others, this may simply be another court decision. But for me, as Roel’s wife, it means so much more.”

Degamo said that while the court’s decision could not erase the suffering she and her family had endured, the convictions served as an important reminder that “justice does not forget.”

“Every conviction is a step forward. Every person held accountable brings us closer to the truth and to the justice that Roel and every victim of the Pamplona massacre deserved,” she said, vowing that she would not stop fighting for justice. - Gilbert Bayoran