A MANILA court yesterday reset anew the arraignment of the 11 accused in the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.
Defense lawyer Danny Villanueva said Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 51 Presiding Judge Marianthea Pacita Manzano Zuraek “cancelled and reset to September 6” the arraignment of the accused for murder, frustrated murder and attempted murder.
Villanueva said this is because the court has yet to resolve the motion to quash information and to suppress evidence filed by the accused.
It was not the first time the arraignment of Joven Javier, Romel Pattaguan, Dahniel Lora, Osmundo Rivero, Rogelio Antipolo Jr., Joric Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez, Winrich Isturis, Eulogio Gonyon Jr., John Louie Gonyon, and Marvin Miranda did not push through.
Suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, tagged as mastermind, is not included in the case as the multiple murder and frustrated murder cases against him are still undergoing preliminary investigation before the Department of Justice.
The arraignment was first set on April 6 but the court deferred it to May 31 after the DOJ said it needed to file more complaints related to the case.
The May 31 arraignment also did not push through, with Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon saying the court decided to defer the arraignment because of several “incidents pending in court,” including the petition to quash information filed by the accused.
The court then set their arraignment on July 19.
Ten of the 11 accused have recanted withdrawn their confession to the authorities.
Miranda did not execute any extrajudicial confession.
Teves has used their recantation to ask the DOJ to dismiss the cases against him.
