PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr. expressed belief on Sunday, January 6, that the PNP has an “airtight” case against Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo for his involvement in the killing of AKO Bicol party-list representative Rodel Batocabe.
According to Durana, this was due to the surrender and testimonies of all the six suspects who carried out the assassination on December 22, while Batocabe was in a gift giving activity in the said town.
“We have accounted all the six suspects that were identified. They gave their testimonies separately and on separate occasions but one thing that stood out during this investigation, during this interview and revelations is the fact that they are pointing to only one mastermind,” he said.
Durana said all the suspects has identified Baldo as the brains behind the killing.
“So far that's what really stood out, from the extrajudicial confession made by the main gunman himself, Yuson, as well as the chief security aide of Mayor Baldo is so far consistent,” he added.
Timeline of events
Batocabe was shot dead on December 22 along with his aide Senior Police Officer 1 Orlando Diaz.
The PNP then formed a Special Investigation Task Group to focus on the investigation on the said incident.
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde earlier said the investigating team invited Emanuel Bonita Judavar, a former security aide of Baldo who due to pressure admitted being once a part of the assassination plot which he said was hatched sometime in August 2018 when Batocabe announced running for mayoral position in Daraga.
Judavar, however, said he already left the group due to some conflicts before the actual killing.
Instead, Judavar named Christopher Naval alias Tuping, Baldo’s “trusted” security aide as one of those included in the group.
On December 30, Naval surrendered to the police and admitted having knowledge of the incident particularly that he was the one who formed the six-man hit team and purchased the motorcycle and firearms using the P250,000 which came from Baldo.
He tagged Baldo as the mastermind of the killing and named the other suspect as Henry Yuson alias Romel, Rolando Arimado alias RR, Ammanuel Rosello alias Boboy, Jaywin Babor alias Jie and Daniel Muella alias Manoy Dan, who were all employed as confidential staff of the Office of the Municipal Mayor of Daraga, Albay, receiving a monthly compensation of P7,000.
Tuping said Yuson and Arimado both served as the gunmen, Rosello and Babor as the drivers of the get-away motorcycles and Muella as a lookout.
Rosello surrendered to the police and corroborated Naval’s statement.
On Thursday, January 3, the day the PNP filed charges of double murder and multiple frustrated homicide against Baldo and six other suspects. Yuson surrendered before the military based in Albay.
Like Naval, Yuson also said that Baldo architected Batocabe’s execution with the promise of paying them P5 million aside from continuously receiving monthly salary while he as the mayor of Daraga.
Yuson said after the incident, he dismantled the firearms and disposed it.
Albayalde said the firearms is now being subject to search and retrieval operations to corroborate Yuson’s statements.
Naval and Yuson both said they choose to surrender after Baldo refused to pay them.
Yuson apologized to the Batocabes.
Babor also surrendered to the police last January 4 while Arimado and Muella turned themselves to the authorities on January 5 in Masbate and Bicol, respectively.
Durana said all the six prime suspects are now being processed in an undisclosed location in Albay pending their further disposition.
He said the PNP now awaits for the decision of the court.
“Well it depends on the court whether we will conduct a preliminary investigation but our judicial process would tell us that a preliminary investigation will be conducted then the court will decide whether to issue a warrant of arrest or not but as far as we are concerned we have a very airtight case so far against all the suspects including the mastermind,” said Durana.
“But then again it's now up to the court to appreciate all the pieces of evidence that we have submitted but we are quite confident that we have solved the case but as far as we are concerned it is not yet close,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)