THE Philippine National Police (PNP) assured on Friday, October 11, that the P35-million reward money for anyone who can provide information regarding the killing of AKO-Bicol Partylist representative Rodel Batocabe is intact and will be given to the “right people.”
“Ang lahat ng mga informants, witnesses, karapat-dapat mabigyan ay dapat mabigyan. hindi lang isang tao ang bibigyan. Base sa pag aaral ng review committee iba-iba ang halaga na maaaring ibigay sa isang impormante depende sa bigat ng naibigay na information,” PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac said.
“Nakakatiyak tayo na ang reward money ay para sa impormante. Hindi kasama ang PNP dahil ang mandato ng PNP ay mag-investigate, tugisin at mapanagot ang dapat managot sa batas. Ito (reward money) ay para sa impormante,” he added.
On Thursday, October 10, Emmanuel Judavar, revealed in an exclusive interview with UNTV that of the P35-million reward money, only P6 million was awarded to him.
He sought the assistance of the said news network because he was worried about his security following the release of former Daraga mayor Carlwyn Baldo.
“Sa PNP, ang mag-iisip talaga sa akin ng masama ‘yung nakinabang sa pera na yan kung sino ka man, nakinabang ka tapos ngayon ay nakalkal yan, masama ang loob mo pwede talaga na pag isipan ako ng masama dahil kung nagastos mo na yan namomoblema ka kung saan ka kukuha ng pera na yan,” he said.
Judavar said as per the PNP, there were four more witnesses in the case who received part of the reward money. He identified them as Danilo Muella, Christopher Naval, Jerwin Babor and Emmanuel Rosello, the suspects in the said killing.
Banac said the PNP, particularly the Criminal Investigation and Detection group (CIDG), is ready to face any investigation to shed light on the matter.
“Kung meron reklamo na pormal na ihahain ang sinumang concerned na party, nakahanda ang PNP na harapin ito at tinitiyak natin na ang CIDG ay nakahandang ibigay ang detalye para bigyang linaw ang agam-agam ng ating kababayan. Asahan natin na ang mga detalye ay nakahandang maibigay ng ating CIDG,” he said.
Earlier, it was no less than CIDG director Major General Amador Corpuz who said that they will recommend the awarding of the total reward money to the lone witness, Judavar, who opened the investigation which resulted in the arrest or surrender of the suspects in the killing.
Judavar, former security aide of Baldo, turned himself in to the police after Batocabe’s killing on December 22 while having a gift-giving activity in Daraga.
According to Judavar, the plan to kill Batocabe was hatched by Baldo in August 2018, when the latter announced his intention to run for the mayoral position of the town. Judavar left the group in September 2018.
Judavar also identified Christopher Naval, another “trusted” aide of Baldo, as one of the possible suspects.
Judavar’s confession has resulted in the surrender of Naval who admitted taking part in the assassination.
Naval identified all the other suspects namely Henry Yuson alias Romel, Rolando Arimado alias RR, Ammanuel Rosello alias Boboy, Jaywin Babor alias Jie and Daniel Muella alias Manoy Dan.
He 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.
All the suspects have surrendered to the police and they all tagged Baldo as the brains behind the killing.
In September, Baldo was released from detention after posting bail for murder charges in relation to Batocabe’s killing. (SunStar Philippines)