MANILA, Philippines — Five people allegedly involved in the brazen attack that killed Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others last March 4 were included in the multiple murder charges filed last Wednesday against suspended congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr.
However, the Department of Justice kept their identities under wraps since the “rights of the accused” need to be respected at this time, according to DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon also confirmed that at least five suspects were named as co-respondents in the investigation data form filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
They, along with Teves, are facing 10 counts of murder, 14 counts of frustrated murder and four counts of attempted murder under the Revised Penal Code. Murder is a non-bailable offense.
“(The basis of the charges) were the affidavits of suspects and other evidence of the NBI. The NBI has been on this case for the last two months. They know what they’re doing and I can assure you of that,” Remulla told reporters late Wednesday.
The complainants in the case were widows of the slain government officials and others killed in the March 4 attack, including the slain governor’s widow Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo
Back in March, the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed charges against Teves and five of his alleged associates for three murders that happened in 2019. Teves’ co-accused in those cases were his secretary identified only as “Hannah Mae,” Richard Cuadra, Jasper Tanasan, Rolando Pinili and Alex Mayagma.
Lawyer Levito Baligod, who represented the victims’ families, said they were the “assassination teams” of the congressman.
Later, prosecutors filed multiple counts of murder and frustrated murder charges before Negros Oriental courts against Marvin Miranda, Rogelio Antipolo Jr., Romel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis, John Louie Gonyon, Dahniel Lora and Eulogio Gonyon Jr., all gunmen in the commando-style attack on Degamo’s residence in Pamplona.
The Supreme Court has since approved the DOJ’s request to have the trial of the seven suspects moved to the Manila Regional Trial Court.
The DOJ had previously named at least 10 suspects in the case, also known as the “Pamplona massacre,” and revealed that several of them had pinpointed Teves as their “boss” and mastermind after they were arrested.
Teves left the country four days before the attack, which was carried out while Degamo was leading a distribution activity for his constituents. Consequently, dozens were wounded, including capitol officials.
Teves on returning: ‘I don’t feel safe’
Meanwhile, Teves expressed concerns about his safety and his reluctance to return to the country now that new murder charges have been filed against him. “I don’t feel safe (going home),” he said in an interview over CNN Philippines yesterday. “I don’t understand why they are so hell-bent on bringing my body home. Guilty of what? What flight?”
During the interview, Teves mentioned undergoing a stem cell operation in the United States as the reason for his leaving the country and cited grave threats as the reason for not returning home.
“I just don’t want to go home because of threats to my life,” he said.
Remulla had earlier told media that Teves was due to return last Wednesday, the day when the NBI filed the charges against him for allegedly masterminding the March 4 attack, but the lawmaker said it was “fake news.”?Teves’ counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, criticized Remulla, saying: “To announce that someone is on his way back without any verification at all, I think, is the height of irresponsibility.”
Topacio added that due to “threats to his life,” Teves has “no reason” to come home just yet.
Through diplomatic channels, the DOJ confirmed last week that Teves was seeking asylum in Timor-Leste, but it was turned down.
In the televised interview, Teves neither confirmed nor denied his application for political asylum in Timor-Leste. “I refuse to comment on that. I neither deny nor confirm that. You ask Boying (Remulla’s nickname) because he knows too much,” he said.
‘DOJ usec bribed gunmen’
Meanwhile, Baligod, who is also the lawyer of the widows of the slain victims in the March 4 bloodbath, said a former DOJ undersecretary has been peddling bribes to the gunmen under NBI custody to prevent them from cooperating in the investigation and prosecution of the case.
“A certain high-ranking official of the Department of Justice before with the rank of undersecretary is working with some jail guards at the NBI detention facility and they’re offering hush money to the detainees so they would not cooperate with the government,” Baligod said in an interview aired over CNN Philippines.
Baligod did not name the former official nor the detainees, but said the lawyers of the gunmen had retained the ex-undersecretary’s services. — Delon Porcalla