THE Supreme Court (SC) yesterday approved the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to transfer all cases related to the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo to the Manila Regional Trial Court.
In a briefer sent to reporters, the High Court said: “The request to transfer the subject cases from Negros Oriental to Manila was made by DOJ Sec. Remulla in a letter dated March 9, 2023 to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, coursed through Court Administrator Raul Villanueva.”
Remulla had cited three reasons in making the request: that the significant media coverage generated by Degamo’s killing has “created a hostile environment for the respondents” in Negros Oriental, the threat of intimidation and harassment of the respondents, the private complainants and their witnesses, and the logistical difficulties of holding the trial in the province.
Remulla said the three factors “could undermine the integrity of (the) trial,” especially since they “anticipate the filing of other cases related thereto, considering the number of victims who have yet to file complaints.”
He likewise aired security concerns in the transportation and handling of the respondents in the court cases as they are currently detained at the NBI Custodial Center in the city of Manila due to the lack of an adequate detention facility in the province for such a high-profile case.
The four suspects — Joric Garido Labrador, Joven Calibjo Javier, Benjie Rodriguez and Osmundo Rojas Rivero — were brought to Manila last week after they were arrested.
The four have signified their intention to cooperate with authorities and the DOJ is now evaluating their statements to see if they would qualify under the Witness Protection Program.
The SC said Villanueva did not pose any objection to Remulla’s request.
“The Court Administrator said a change of venue to Manila would be in the best interest of all parties involved and it would provide a neutral venue where the trial can be conducted fairly and impartially, free from any undue influence or bias,” it ruled.
POLICE ESCORTS
Meanwhile, PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo yesterday clarified only four police personnel were detailed to Degamo as security escorts.
Fajardo said two of the four were supposed to be on duty on March 4, the day the governor’s house was attacked and the provincial executive killed, but one of them reported late.
Sen. JV Ejercito earlier said five of the six police security of Degamo were absent on the day that the attack happened, raising the scenario that they could be “conspiring with the mastermind.”
On Monday, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr acknowledged that five of Degamo’s security men did not report that day. The five were supposed to attend a hearing at the House of Representatives today to explain their absence, but the hearing was cancelled in deference to the ongoing police investigation on the attack.
Yesterday, Fajardo said there were actually only four assigned to the late governor, and they worked on shifts of two.
“When the incident occurred last March 4, two were off duty,” said Fajardo.
Of the two PNP personnel who were supposed to be on duty. Fajardo said “only one was on duty. The other one came in late because he has to attend a family gathering during that day.”
Fajardo said the policeman sought permission to come in late that day.
He said the four are on top of the other PNP personnel assigned to Degamo’s wife, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo. She did not say how many security personnel are assigned to Janice.
Janice was inside their house when Degamo was murdered by fully armed men inside the family’s residential compound. The governor was supervising distributing assistance to poor families at the time of the assault.
NORMALCY
The military on Tuesday expressed optimism that normalcy will be restored in Negros Oriental in one or two weeks following the killing of Degamo and eight others.
Maj. Cenon Pancito, spokesman of the military’s Joint Task Force Negros, said the situation in the province has already improved over the past days since the unfortunate incident.
“The guidance to us is to produce results in one or two weeks. We are confident that there’s going to be a good development in about a week or two from now,” said Pancito.
The task force, composed of six battalions and an elite Light Reaction Company, was formed last week primarily to suppress all forms of lawless violence, restore peace and order in the province, and go after the remaining suspects in the Degamo killing.
Pancito said the task force is focusing on 21 strategic areas, including seaports and airports. Checkpoints have put up in some of these areas and soldiers have been deployed.
He said four more suspects directly involved in the attack are still at-large and subject of continuing manhunt operations.
Pancito said the people of Negros Oriental are supportive of the ongoing military action in the province.
“There are inconveniences, but the people are willing to face those inconveniences to solve this kind of problem that they are having,” he said.
Pancito also justified the utilization of skilled troops in the conduct of the manhunt operations against the remaining suspects, some of whom are former soldiers.
“The four include the leader (of the group that staged the attack) and we believe that they are also skilled, so we have to employ equally skilled personnel,” he explained.
He said they believe that the four are still within the 21 strategic areas where the military is focusing on.
Pancito said the task force is also trying to dismantle the support system of the perpetrators and the private armed groups in the Negros Island, pointing out that it is “clear” to the military that the suspects who staged the attack cannot move without a support system.
“There are the tentacles of violence that continue to work for them. That is what we are after, dismantle this completely. Our objective is to bring back peace and order here in Negros Oriental and restore confidence of the people who fear that since the governor was killed, it would somehow also be true to any ordinary Negrenses. We cannot let that (fear to continue),” he said.
TEVES
The PNP yesterday said it has filed charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives against six people, including a secretary of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. in connection with last Friday’s series of raids on the residence of the lawmaker and his close associates.
Charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were Teves’ secretary, identified only as Hannah Mae, Heracleo Sangasin Oray, Rodolfo Teves Maturan alias Jojo Maturan, Joseph Kyle Catan Maturan, Jose Pablo Gimarangan, and Roland Aguisanda Pablio.
The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said additional charges of illegal possession of explosives were also lodged against Gimarangan and Pablio.
The six were arrested by policemen and soldiers who raided the five residences of Teves and his associates in Basay town and Bayawan City last Friday, a few days after murder charges were slapped against Teves for the killing of three persons in 2019.
Seized during the raids were nine “short” firearms, eight “long” firearms, two hand grenades, assorted ammunition, magazines and firearms accessors.
The CIDG said Teves and his sons, Kurt Mathew and Axel, were not around during the raids which were conducted by virtue of search warrants.
“However, the criminal complaints against them for violation of RA 10591 (illegal possession of firearms and ammunition) and RA 9516 (illegal possession of explosives) will be filed as soon as possible,” the CIDG said.
CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said CIDG operatives are enforcing the law “regardless of one’s status in the society.”
“We will assure impartiality in the conduct of the investigation and will hold criminals accountable for the offense they committed,” said Caramat.
Fajardo said the charges against Teves and his sons were due to be filed either later yesterday or today.
‘FEAR FOR SAFETY’
Speaker Martin Romualdez said Teves phoned him Monday night from an undetermined location and “expressed fear for the safety of his person and his family, saying this is the reason why he refuses to return home at this time.”
“I assured him that the Speaker, as the political and administrative leader of the House of Representatives, will exert all efforts to ensure the personal safety of all Members. In fact, I have ordered the House Sergeant-at-Arms to coordinate with law enforcement agencies and prepare appropriate security arrangements for his return,” the Speaker said.
Romualdez however said he reiterated to Teves that “he needs to go home and report for work immediately as he no longer has the authority to travel outside the country.” — With Victor Reyes and Wendell Vigilia
