DUMAGUETE CITY – Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and his wife, Pamplona town Mayor Janice Degamo, have denied accusations naming them as “masterminds” in the killing of a barangay chairperson in the municipality of Dauin last May 5.
The Degamo couple, in a video clip uploaded on the Facebook page of the provincial government of Negros Oriental Wednesday afternoon, issued their statement after leaflets circulated in this capital city and nearby Sibulan town that linked them and Dauin Mayor Galicano Truita to the death of Barangay Bagacay chairperson Stephen Alam.
The unsigned leaflets, purportedly issued by four suspects accused in the murder of Alam, tagged the Degamo couple and Truita as the brains behind the shooting to death of Alam inside the barangay hall of Bagacay.
Copies of the “extrajudicial confession” obtained by media practitioners showed that suspects Jhal Salapuddin II from Pagadian City, Samuel T. Quiñola of Zamboanga Sibugay, Richie L. Mahusay of Iligan City, and McVincer Teleron of Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay; gave an account of how the murder of Alam was planned and carried out.
It also narrated negotiations allegedly made with the suspects in Ozamis City for the murder of Alam by two persons allegedly related to Truita -- for which they would be paid a total of P4.5 million -- as well as a timeline of events leading to the killing.
The governor said this is a serious allegation that came at a time when the election season is already starting.
He said this could be a smear campaign to destroy their reputation and he has directed the National Bureau of Investigation to dig into the matter.
Degamo said he has not visited Barangay Bagacay in Dauin in the last four years and does not even know Alam.
Truita, meanwhile, said whoever wanted to pin them down could always go to court and file charges rather than just scatter unsigned leaflets to shame them.
The four accused, who were arrested hours after Alam was killed, are under detention.