SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – The filing of murder complaints against suspended Negros Oriental Congressman Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves for the alleged assassination of Governor Roel Degamo is delayed again as some suspects have “lawyered up,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla told reporters on Monday, May 15.
“Lawyered up,” according to Remulla, means they were provided lawyers who were previously not there. The suspects were previously represented by the Public Attorney’s Office.
Remulla added, “They (suspects) were giving statements they wanted to give. And now they don’t want to cooperate with authorities.”
The filing of complaints was supposed to happen on Monday, but has been moved to Wednesday, May 17. This is due to the new legal representation of “six or seven” out of the 11 suspects in the case.
“We were already pursuing the participation of Cong [Arnie] Teves and get his statements in, when many of them had ‘lawyered up’,” Remulla said.
Remulla did not elaborate on who he thinks provided the new lawyers, nor who they were.
The suspects issued previous statements pointing to Teves as the alleged mastermind of the Degamo slay. Nine other people were killed, along with the governor, and 16 others injured, in the March 4 broad daylight attack in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental.
“But that will not stop us from filing the proper cases,” Remulla told reporters. “The statements had been given freely with CCTV cameras [around] and in front of other witnesses. This is all taken into consideration, so the complaints will have an accurate number,” he said.
Reacting to the delay in the murder complaints, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the widow of the slain governor, said that she understands that the case against Teves has to be solid before complaints could be filed.
“Kaya pa naman nating maghintay (we can still wait),” Degamo said. “With the kind of evidence he has and where they are now, I am still very confident that we will be able to win this case,” Degamo said in a phone interview with reporters.
Remulla said there will be cases of murder and frustrated murder for each of the victims and attempted murder filed for victims who were injured in the attack.
Meanwhile Teves is still out of the country and refuses to return home, citing alleged threats to his life.
The fugitive congressman denied any involvement in the Degamo assassination.
He recently applied for asylum in the Southeast Asian country of Timor-Leste, but was denied, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Why it matters
Political killings are not new to the Philippines, but it’s rare that a sitting governor is killed in his own home, with dozens of others massacred, mostly ordinary people who were just caught in the crossfire.
Degamo’s killing also brought national attention to the long-running problem of unsolved killings in Negros Oriental and Negros Island. It has stirred conversations on ending impunity and protecting human rights in Negros Oriental, issues that are rarely talked about in the province.
The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs held marathon hearings to investigate the Degamo assassination and other killings in Negros Oriental from April 17 to 19, and from May 10 to 11.
The committee heard dozens of families of victims of unsolved killings, survivors, and police officers who were once assigned – or are currently assigned – to Negros Oriental.
The Senate investigation concluded after five sessions last Thursday, May 11. – Rappler.com
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