Photos of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and his family, as well as maps and sketches leading to his house, have been recovered inside the house of the chief security of a company allegedly owned by the brother of embattled Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr., the Philippine National Police (PNP) disclosed on Tuesday, March 28.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the recovery of the items during the March 26 implementation of a search warrant on the house of Nigel Electona only revealed a well-planned assassination of Degamo inside a compound adjacent to his house in Pamplona town on March 4.

Electona is the chief security of HDJ Bayawan Agri-Ventures Corporation allegedly owned by Pryde Henry Teves, who was unseated as Negros Oriental governor when the Commission on Elections ruled in favor of Degamo over a nuisance candidate issue during the 2022 elections.
 
He and two others were  arrested during the serving of a search warrant inside his house in Barangay Villareal in Bayawan City on March 26.

“Those recovered include pictures of Governor Degamo and his family, sketches and maps and even the routes leading to the house of the governor. The SITG (Special Investigation task Group) believes that these were all used during the planning stage before the killing was carried out,” said Fajardo.

“So Pryde Teves has really a lot of explaining to do since the chief security of the HDJ appeared to have a big participation in the killing of Governor Degamo,” she added.

Electona used to be a policeman assigned in Dumaguete City. He was dismissed from the service in 2017 a year after he was allegedly caught using illegal drugs. 

Cache of guns, ammo… cash too

The March 26 arrest of Electona was a follow-up search warrant implementation on March 24 on the compound believed to be owned by Pryde Teves.

Among those seized were six  pieces rifles of various calibers; nine pieces pistols of various calibers; 9,615 rounds of live ammunition of different calibers; 207 pieces fired bullets of different calibers; 45 pieces of steel and plastic magazines of different calibers; and assorted accessories of different caliber of firearms.

Operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) had to use a backhoe and other heavy equipment to dig, which resulted in the recovery of the improvised explosive devices.

Also seized were P18 million in different denominations.

The recovery of the cache of firearms, ammunition and IEDs, according to Fajardo, is another cause for explaining on the part of Pryde Teves.

“But we will observe due process. They are entitled to it but as what the SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Benhur Abalos) had requested, it would be better if both Pryde Teves and Congressman Arnie Teves should face it because one way or another, they have to face the music,” said Fajardo.

Cooperating?

Fajardo said Electona already shared vital information to the investigators.  

“Hopefully, these would help for us to have a clearer picture on what happened before, during, and after the incident involving the death of Governor Degamo.

Citing intelligence information from the local police forces investigating the Degamo killing, Fajardo said the pieces of evidence seized from Electona were consistent with the information disclosed by the gunmen who were arrested after the killing of Degamo.

“Accordingly, this Nigel was among those who planned and in fact, he helped the gunmen in the casing and surveillance of Governor Degamo,” said Fajardo.