By Martin Sadongdong Henry Yuson is a former New People's Army (NPA) rebel who eventually became a member of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), an auxiliary force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), after being arrested by the Philippine Army. (MANILA BULLETIN) According to Yuson, life was hard for him and his family especially since he has a child who still needs milk. This, until he received a call from his former "team leader" about an offer too hard to let it pass. Yuson is a self-confessed hitman who admitted to killing Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and SPO2 Orlando Diaz, his security escort, during a gift-giving activity in Daraga, Albay on December 22, 2018 in exchange of a hefty sum. He surrendered to the Philippine Army in Sorsogon on January 3, 2019 and was later served with a warrant of arrest issued by presiding judge Ignacio Barcillano Jr. of Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in Ligao City, Albay on Oct. 20, 2015 for a rape charge. In a press conference in Camarines Sur Friday afternoon, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde presented Yuson before the media and the latter detailed his participation in the assassination. Yuson narrated that he was working as part of the "private security group" of Daraga town Mayor Carlwyn Baldo, the primary suspect in the incident, for five months when he was informed about the hit job. The call "Bago lang ako siguro mga limang buwan pa lang ako dahil galing akong Visayas doon ako nagtatrabaho," he said. "Si 'Tuping' sundalo dati 'yan. Iyan ang team leader ko, sundalo rin ako. Noong nawalan na ako ng trabaho sa Visayas, 'yun umuwi ako dito. Tinawagan niya ako, sabi niya ipapasok ako doon kay Mayor na security. Dahil 'yung anak ko, walang wala ako, may ginagatasan pa, sumama ako doon sa kanila," he added. (I was new, I think I was with him for about five months since I came from Visayas where I worked. "Tuping" was a former soldier. He's my former team leader, I was also a soldier. When I lost my job in Visayas, I went home here. He called me and said he would use me as a security of Mayor . Since my child still needs milk, I had no money, I agreed.) Tuping, as referred to by Yuson, is Christopher Naval, a trusted security aide of Mayor Baldo. He is a discharged Army serviceman who served with the Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB) of the 9th Infantry Division (9ID), Philippine Army stationed in Bicol region, the PNP said. Yuson said Mayor Baldo, Naval and a certain Danilo Muella alias Manoy Dan, reportedly a former technical sergeant in the 97th Military Intelligence Company of the 9th Infantry Division, Philippine Army were the ones who planned the hit job. "Silang tatlo po ang nag-uusap palagi na ipapatay si Congressman Rodel Batocabe. Ang gusto ni Mayor Baldo, siya ang permanenteng makaupo sa Daraga kasi may pangako man siya sa amin na ang ano namin, tuluy-tuloy ang kabuhayan namin. Nagsahod kami sa kanya," Yuson said. (The three of them were always talking about the plan to kill Congressman Rodel Batocabe. Mayor Baldo wants to be permanently seated in Daraga and he promised us that our livelihood would continue. We were being paid by him.) Yuson said he had no idea that when he agreed to be part of Mayor Baldo's security team, it would come to a point where he had to kill somebody for money. "Sumama ako doon, hindi ko alam na ganoon pala ang balak nilang tatlo na may ipapapatay (I agreed to be part of the security team, I didn't know the three of them had a plan to kill someone," he stated. 'Office staff' According to the PNP, Yuson, Naval, Muella and the three other members of the kill team -- Rolando Arimado, backup gunman; and Emmanuel Rosello and Jaywin Babor, drivers of the get-away motorcyles -- were all employed as "confidential staff" of Mayor Baldo. They were allegedly receiving a P7,000-monthly compensation from the Office of the Mayor using fictitious names. However, Mayor Baldo earlier asserted his innocence and said he is being used as a "convenient scapegoat" while the true suspects remain "free and blameless." "I assert my innocence. Let us not forget that while I am being used as a convenient scapegoat, those who are truly responsible for the crime remain free and blameless,” he said. "I did not order the deaths of anyone. I did not kill Cong. Batocabe and SPO2 Diaz," he added. The PNP said the plan to kill Batocabe was hatched sometime in August 2018 when he first announced in public his plan to run as the mayor of Daraga town. Aside from Mayor Baldo, the six-man kill team organized by Naval was composed of former military and paramilitary personnel, and ex-NPA rebels, the PNP added. Regrets Yuson said Mayor Baldo was "really decided" to eliminate Batocabe because he wants to remain in power "permanently." Mayor Baldo allegedly promised to give the kill team P5 million when the job was finished but Yuson said he was fooled by Naval. "Ang masasabi ko lang kaya nagsorry man po ako sa pamilya ng Batocabe. Ako ay napag-utusan lang po ni Mayor Baldo na patayin siya, na binayaran po ako pero wala po akong nakuha kahit piso dahil hinudas din po ako ng kasama kong si Tuping. 'Yun po ang grabeng pagsisisi ko na nagawa ko sa pamilya nila -- na tinraydor po ako," Yuson said. (I would like to say sorry to the Batocabe family. I was just ordered by Mayor Baldo to kill him , that I was told I would be paid but I did not receive even one peso because Tuping made a fool out of me. That's why I am deeply sorry of what I have done to their family -- I was fooled.) Detained Baldo was placed under police custody by the Albay Provincial Police Office but plans to transfer him to PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City for maximum security was already raised. Excluding Mayor Baldo, all members of the six-man kill team were already arrested by or surrendered to authorities as of Saturday.