Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 20) — A suspect described as one of the main players in the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has surrendered to authorities — a development seen to possibly help unveil the mastermind.
Officials bared the news on Monday, saying the suspect is a discharged soldier who surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Negros Oriental last Friday.
“We understand that the suspect has vital and critical information that we hope will pave for the resolution of this case the soonest possible time,” Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said in a joint press briefing of agencies handling the case.
AFP chief General Andres Centino told reporters that the alleged perpetrator was brought to Manila over the weekend and will be turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation. He added that the latter was already earlier implicated in the crime by arrested suspects.
Authorities apprehended four people believed to be involved in the killing, while one suspect died in a shootout with police.
According to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, the ex-soldier was a “major player” and a “direct participant” in Degamo’s assassination on March 4, which also left eight other people dead.
“’Yung mga sinasabi niya, number one, corroborates previous statements given to us,” he noted.
“Number two, he knows the other people who were involved kaya alam natin ‘yung extent ng network, kaya marami pa kaming persons of interest na hinahanap,” Remulla added.
[Translation: Number one, what he’s saying corroborates previous statements given to us. Number two, he knows the other people involved, so we know the extent of the network, and that’s why there are still a lot of persons of interest we’re looking for.]
He said they are still searching for more or less eight other people tagged as persons of interest in the case.
A step closer to the mastermind?
Remulla also told the media it is “very possible” that the ex-soldier can help identify the person who gave the order to kill Degamo.
He added, however, that they have yet to question the suspect again to ensure his information is reliable.
One of the arrested suspects earlier named Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. as the mastermind in the March 4 killings. Teves — who has not yet returned to the country after flying to the US on Feb. 28 for supposed medical treatment — has repeatedly denied the accusation.
Remulla did not directly answer if the discharged soldier also named Teves as the mastermind.
“What I can tell you is that there are circumstances which lead you to the conclusion that he was perhaps involved in the crime,” the official said. “But the specifics of that, we cannot tell you as of now.”
Thirty complaints have been filed against alleged perpetrators in the assassination of Degamo inside his residential compound, according to Abalos. Among respondents were the four who were earlier arrested and 12 John Does.
Of the complaints, Abalos said nine were for murder, 15 for frustrated murder, three for attempted murder, and three for violation of the laws on illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives.
