ALL four suspects arrested and charged with criminal cases in connection with the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo have agreed to cooperate in investigations, the Department of Justice said yesterday.
The DOJ also filed cases against 12 John Does before the Tanjay City, Negros Oriental Regional Trial Court. Police officials have said there were only around six gunmen but based on the accounts of the arrested suspects and video footage, 10 to 12 gunmen could be involved.
Of the four who agreed to cooperate with investigators, two have executed extrajudicial confessions and are now being considered for the DOJ-administered Witness Protection Program.
The Philippine National Police said the four — Joric Garido Labrador, Joven Calibjo Javier, Benjie Rodriguez and Osmundo Rojas Rivero — were detained at the Custodial Center in Camp Crame but the DOJ said they have been transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation.
“Upon the instruction of Justice Secretary Remulla and DILG Secretary Abalos, the two respondents who previously expressed their intention to cooperate were immediately turned over to the NBI’s custody for protective custody and further investigation,” the DOJ said in a statement.
“The remaining two were left in the custody of the PNP. However, early this (Tuesday) afternoon, the remaining two respondents likewise expressed their intention to cooperate.Thus, the PNP and NBI have agreed to the turnover of the remaining two respondents,” it added.
Despite their intention to cooperate, their statements are still undergoing verification process.
“The specific motive of the murder has yet to be confirmed as the DILG and DOJ will exert every effort to see all the factors at play in this incident,” the DOJ added.
The DOJ said multiple murder cases were filed against the four and 12 John Does before the Tanjay City RTC.
A separate set of information for three counts of violation of laws on illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives against three of the respondents were filed in the RTC of Bayawan City.
The DOJ, however, did not identify who were the three charged but in a Monday briefing, it said Labrador, Javier and Rodriguez underwent inquest for those charges.
The justice department also reiterated that its main office in Manila intends to take cognizance of all potential cases and proceedings, including preliminary investigation and inquest, related to Degamo’s killing.
While the DOJ and the DILG have been careful not to state the motive behind the brazen killing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he believes that case was “political.”
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said politics is among angles or motives being looked into by probers, noting that “Degamo’s rise to governorship arose from a disqualification (case)” against Henry Pryde Teves.
“This is one angle the SITG (special investigation task group) is pursuing because prior to the incident, the governor received some threats. This is direction now of the SITG — to look into the possible political angle in this case,” she said.
Fajardo also said the SITG on the Degamo slay “is just finalizing some of the details with respect to the possible cases that will be filed against the possible mastermind behind this incident.”
“The DOJ is helping the PNP finalize and fine-tune these revelations so that we could have an airtight case against the possible mastermind of this case,” she said.
PRIVATE ARMIES
The PNP vowed to intensify its efforts against private armed groups and loose firearms throughout the country following the death of Degamo and others last Saturday.
The gunmen attacked Degamo’s home in Pamplona town while he was meeting with his constituents.
The first three suspects — two of them Army soldiers — were arrested on the same by joint police and military teams in Barangay Cansumalig in Bayawan City hours after the attack.
A fourth suspect died also on Saturday in a shootout with troops.
Another suspect, Osmundo Rivero, also a former Army soldier, was later arrested in pursuit operation in Bayawan City, police said.
Col. Redrico Maranan, chief of the PNP’s Public Information Office, said the PNP will be working with the Armed Forces to rid the country of private armed groups.
President Marcos Jr ordered a crackdown on private armies and loose firearms on Monday. He said the killing of Degamo was “entirely unacceptable” and “cannot go unpunished.”
“Based on the order of the President, we are going to disband the private armies in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he said.
Maranan could not immediately say how many private armies are reported to be operating in the country. He said the data is with the National Task Force for the Disbandment of Private Armed Groups.
Maranan said the PNP will identify the “areas of concern” or areas where shooting incidents involving government officials and even civilians have occurred.
“Once identified, we are going to deploy additional policemen if needed,” he said.
If additional policemen cannot be deployed in the areas of concern, the PNP will ask help from the Armed Forces.
“We are going to strictly enforce the firearms law (in these areas) through checkpoint and search warrant operations,” said Maranan.
“We are determined (in the campaign against private armies and loose firearms) because this is a lingering problem,” he said.
Maranan said private armies are usually used in the killing of government officials. “They are also a concern during elections,” said Maranan. — With Victor Reyes
