“I-demanda mo (You sue them).”
This was the challenged aired by lawyer Ferdinand S. Topacio, lead counsel of Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” A. Teves Jr., on Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla who had disclosed that detained suspects in the Gov. Roel R. Degamo killing were offered P8 million each to recant their supposed testimonies that admitted their participation and implicated the suspended legislator.
Remulla even named former Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary Reynanto Orceo who offered the money. Orceo and the other lawyers representing the 11 detained suspects had denied the allegation.
Ten of the 11 suspects who are detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have recanted their testimonies.
Teves, who is still abroad, has been tagged as “one of the masterminds” in the March 4, 2023 Pamplona town killings that resulted in the deaths not only of Degamo but also of nine other persons, and injuries to 18 others.
The NBI has filed 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder against Teves and other respondents.
The DOJ has summoned Teves to file his counter-affidavits and set the start of the preliminary investigation on Tuesday, June 13.
“May nagpi-finance raw, anong proof niya? Anong proof niya sa P8 million? Anong proof niya na minamanipulate ‘nung Orceo ‘yung mga witnesses? Wala siyang proof (Where is the proof that there is someone financing it? Where is his proof that there is an P8 million offer? What is his proof that Orceo was manipulating the witnesses? Remulla doesn’t have any proof),” declared Topacio during the “Pandesal Forum” held at the Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City on Thursday, June 8.
Topacio pointed out there was nothing wrong for Orceo to go to the detention facility of the NBI to represent one of the detained suspects, Marvin H. Miranda.
“‘Pagkapumunta ba roon sa NBI to represent in defense of an accused dapat i-check ang background (Should a lawyer’s background be checked whenever one goes to the NBI to represent in defense an accused)?” asked Topacio.
At the same time, Topacio noted that Remulla was irked when detained suspects have lawyered up.
“Hindi ba karapatan iyon sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas (Isn’t this a right under the Constitution?)” he pointed out.
He lamented that Remulla has focused his attention to Teves and his camp instead of investigating the case
“Ang problema kami na lang ang gusto mo imbestigahan na lang (The problem is we are the only ones you want to investigate),” he said.
He then urged Remulla to also investigate other possible masterminds in the crime, like allegations that Miranda was being offered millions of pesos to testify against Teves, and the claims of detained suspects that they were tortured into testifying about the crime.
He warned that many statements aired by Remulla against Teves can be libelous.
“There are 32 instances, counts na maaaring libel, cyberlibel pero hindi pa namin ginagawa dahil ito ay legal isyu ito (that could be considered libel, cyberlibel but we have yet to act on),” he also said.