Rep. Teves
SUBPOENAS for Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnie Teves and several others are being readied after multiple murder complaints have been filed against them before the court for the killing of a politician and two others in 2019.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday announced the formation of a panel of prosecutors to conduct the preliminary investigation on the complaints filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on behalf of the victims’ families.
“The case has been assigned to a panel of prosecutors. Subpoenas will be issued soon. There will be a preliminary investigation. Of course, due process must be observed. We can’t issue a warrant of arrest. It has to go through due process,” Remulla said in a chance interview.
Teves, alias “Hanna Mae,” Richard Cuadra, Jasper Tanasan alias ‘Bobong’ Tanasan, and Rolando Pinili were charged with two counts of murder, while Alex Mayagma was sued for one count of murder.
All respondents are alleged residents of Poblacion, Basay, Negros Oriental, except for “Hanna Mae,” who lives in Tinastasan Malabugas, Bayawan City.
The victims, Miguel Lopez Dungog, a former board member of the 3rd District of Negros Oriental, Lester Pialgao Bato, and Pacito Retes Libron, were killed on different occasions.
Dungog was killed on March 25, 2019, in front of Siliman Medical Center in Dumaguete City, while Bato was killed the following day in Barangay Nagbo-alao in Basay.
Libron was shot dead on June 23, 2019, in Bgy. Malabugas, Bayawan City.
The charges against Teves and his co-respondents were revealed when self-confessed gunman Gemuel Hobro appeared before the PNP-CIDG in Camp Crame and executed a sworn statement regarding the 2019 murders.
Hobro claimed that he was with a group of gunmen who executed Dungog and that Teves ordered the hit, while “Hanna Mae” paid them P50,000 for their operational expenses.
He also claimed that they were responsible for killing Bato and that Teves ordered the assassination of Libron.
More info linking Teves to past crimes
Remulla revealed on Friday that more information has surfaced linking Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnie Teves to past crimes.
Remulla disclosed that during his recent visit to the wake of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, he was approached by individuals who provided him with information about the crimes that occurred in Bayawan City, Dumaguete, and nearby areas.
“We have received a lot of other information about past cases. We will process them properly and examine the evidence. We will review them one by one. We received complaints when we went to the wake. When they informed us about what was happening in Negros Oriental, Bayawan City, Dumaguete, and other places,” Remulla stated.
“We are also investigating the multiple intelligence reports provided to us. We must carefully evaluate them one by one,” Remulla added.
Bullets pierced Degamo’s heart
Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was killed by a barrage of bullets, with one piercing his heart and resulting in his immediate death, according to Remulla.
According to Remulla, the assassination of the public official was carried out in a meticulous manner, as evidenced by Degamo’s attempt to seek help through a one-way radio after being hit by the first volley of fire.
However, the killers may have intercepted his call for help and returned to finish him off.
Remulla said over radio station DZRH, “It seems that Degamo was hit by the first volley. His chair fell over. He had a radio next to him, so he used it. But it appears that the perpetrators monitored their radio system, so they went back and finished him off. He was hit in the heart, which was his fatal wound. Straight to the heart.”
Remulla also noted that Degamo may have tried to shield his face with his hands during the shooting, as evidenced by his closed fist after the crime.
“I also saw one of his hands wrapped as if he tried to block the bullet. His hand was hit. It’s very gory if you look at it. This is not the work of a sane person… People have to pay for this. All those who did this, they have to pay,” Remulla stated.
The Philippine National Police on Saturday announced the creation of a special task force (STF) to pursue the remaining suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, saying that the resolution of the case is near.
PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said that “STF Degamo” on Saturday afternoon held a meeting — together with representatives from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) — to discuss the progress of the investigation.
The PNP said DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos has been designated as chairperson, with Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as co-vice chairpersons.
PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., AFP chief General Andres Centino, and NBI Director Medardo de Lemos have also been designated as task force commanders.
Further, Fajardo said the PNP and AFP were conducting pursuit operations to capture that remaining suspects, and the NBI was arranging the legal documents with respect to the revelations of the four arrested suspects. (abogado.com)
