Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla on Monday, April 3, said the investigation on the March 4 killings of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel R Degamo and eight other persons “is case closed” with two persons identified as “masterminds.”
He identified the two “masterminds” as Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr. and military reservist Marvin H. Miranda.
Thereafter, Remulla said, the prosecution of the suspects will start.
Remulla said that if we use cinema as an analogy, Miranda was “the director, producer of props, and casting director because he recruited the hitmen, while Congressman Teves was the executive producer of the whole production.”
“The problem is this is not cinema. This really took place. Governor Degamo was killed along with eight others and there were other people hurt,” he stressed.
As of posting, DOJ prosecutors are conducting the inquest proceedings on Miranda who was indicted with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges.
Thereafter, the prosecutors will determine if the charges against Miranda will proceed to preliminary investigation or be filed in court immediately.
He, together with 10 other suspects in the March 4 killings in Pamplona town in Negros Oriental, are in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Five suspects, including Miranda, were arrested while the six other suspects surrendered to law enforcers. Another suspect died during pursuit operations.
“Kumbaga sa pulis case closed na to. Prosecution na tayo pagkatapos (It is what police calls case closed. Prosecution will follow after),” Remulla said during a press conference held by Special Task Force Degamo.
“We know who masterminded it, at least two of them, and we know who did it, ‘yung 11 kasama (the 11 suspects in now in government custody),” he said.
Miranda, who served two years in jail for illegal possession of firearms, served as bodyguard of Congressman Teves.
Remulla said that many of the suspects now in custody have identified Teves as the “mastermind” and even called the congressman “boss, idol, cong, and kalbo (bald).”
Aside from Miranda, the other suspects in NBI custody have been identified as Osmundo R. Rivero, Joven C. Javier, Joric G. Labrador, Benjie Rodriguez, Winrich B. Isturis, Rogelio C. Antipolo Jr., Eulogio L. Gonyon Jr., John Louie L. Gonyon, Romel A. Pattaguan, and Dahniel P. Lora.
“Marami tayong ebidensiya dito (We have a lot evidence in this case,” assured Remulla who cited that the evidence that have been gathered include testimonies, eye witnesses accounts, guns recovered, and ballistics examinations.
He assured Teves that due process will be accorded to him.
“We just have to follow due process however painfully slow it may be. We have to follow the law so that we do not erase any of our gains. Kailangan pasagutin, kailangan maibigay sa kanya ‘yung mga statements. ‘Pag nakasagot na siya tsaka magdedecide ang panel kung ipapafile nga sa korte. ‘Pag nafile na sa korte mag-i-issue na ng warrant of arrest (We have to let provide him the statements and let him answer these. Once he answered, the panel of prosecutors will decide if cases will be filed in court. Once filed in court, an arrest warrant will be issued),” he pointed out.
Since Teves is still out of the country despite the lapse his official travel last March 9, Remulla appealed to the suspended lawmaker to come back to the country.
“Mas mabuting dumating na lang siya para masagot lahat (It would be better for him to return so he can answer everything),” Remulla said.
Meanwhile, he said the government can ask the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the issuance of a “blue notice” to countries to monitor the movement of Teves.
“‘Yung blue notice madaling kunin. ‘Yung red notice ang mahirap kasi kailangan maifile muna ang kaso ng maayos (The blue notice is easy to secure. The red notice which seeks to locate and arrest persons is much harder to get since it requires cases to be filed in court),” he said.
NBI Director Medardo G. De Lemos said Miranda was arrested at a mountain resort in Barangay Mayabay in Barbaza in Antique last Friday, March 31, by a composite team composed of the NBI, the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP).
“Inalabas siya ng Negros at nagpunta sa Antique (He was taken out of Negros Oriental and went to Antique),” De Lemos said.
Meanwhile, Remulla said the DOJ will check on “a certain lawyer who attempted to visit the respondents (suspects)in the NBI detention center.”
“We are doing our due diligence to see the background of this lawyer to ensure his presence does not jeopardize the case at hand,” he stated. He did not name the lawyer.
Remulla pointed out that “none of the respondents have engaged the services of this so-called lawyer despite having been asked multiple times.”
At the same time, Remulla said the Task Force Degamo has sought the help of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in checking the bank accounts of Teves as well as his brother, former Negros Oriental Gov. Pryde Henry Teves.
“Lahat ng legal means gagamitin namin to solve these cases (All the legal means we will do to solve these cases),” he said.
He noted that investigators have already begun looking into the bank accounts of Pryde who issued a waiver allowing his bank accounts and phone records to be subjected to scrutiny.
He noted that Pryde has “made feelers to speak to us and we will act accordingly.”
Meanwhile, lawyer Levito D. Baligod, counsel of the Degamo family, said that there were at least 64 other killings even before the March 4 incident.
“Kaya nga po nakipag-usap kami kay Sec. Benhur Abalos kanina para ipaabot sa kanya ‘yung hiling nung mga pamilya na handa na sila makipag-tulungan sa gobyerno basta lamang mabigyan ng sapat na proteksyon ang mga pamilya ng iba’t ibang mga witnesses na handang tumulong (This is the reason why we talked with Interior and Local Government Sec. Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. to convey to him that the families of the victims are willing to cooperate with government investigation as long as witnesses will be given ample protection),” Baligod said.
He said that many witnesses are starting to come out with their own evidence concerning the killings including the involvement of policemen who allegedly serve as spotters for hitmen.
He expressed the gratitude of the Degamo family to the government for the conduct of the investigation.
Earlier, Baligod had filed murder cases against Congressman Teves for alleged involvement in three killings in Negros Oriental in 2019.
The DOJ has yet to act on the complaint.