PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will tap the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) amid the government’s effort to resolve the killing of Negros Oriental Government Roel Degamo along with eight other innocent civilians, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
In a press conference, DOJ Spokesperson Mico Clavano said Marcos will ask Interpol to issue a Blue Notice against the suspects in Degamo’s assassination.
“Well, we have taken precautions and we will take further precautions kasi padagdag nang padagdag iyong mga kaso natin. So all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps na maglabas po ng international lookout bulletin, pinapag-usapan po natin ang paglagay ng mga tao sa blue list sa Interpol -- Blue Notice,”Clavano said.
(Well, we have taken precautions and we will take further precautions because the number of cases keeps increasing. So for all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps to issue an international lookout bulletin, and we are discussing putting people on the blue list in Interpol, a Blue Notice.)
“We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware ‘no doon sa movements ng ating mga respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital doon sa ating investigation. Dahil po ilalagay na sila sa international lookout bulletin, mayroon po tayong records kung saan sila pumunta, anong petsa po sila umalis – iyon po ‘yung mga relevant data na makukuha natin dahil ilalagay po natin sila sa lookout bulletin,” he added.
(We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware of the movements of our respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital to our investigation. They will be placed in the international lookout bulletin, we will have records of where they went, what date they left. Those are the relevant data that we can obtain because we will put them on the lookout bulletin.)
The color-coded notices, according to the Interpol website, are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information and are issued by the general secretariat at the request of a member country.
The Blue Notice will enable member countries to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.
Clavano said 10 more individuals were under investigation over their possible involvement in Degamo’s murder aside from the four suspects who were earlier arrested and admitted hand in the crime.
He said that Negros Oriental Third District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. “is one of those that we are suspecting to be the mastermind behind the Degamo slay” but noted that “everyone has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
Clavano said the case buildup related to Degamo’s slay is “solid” and the government “just have to close all the little gaps.”
The DOJ earlier dropped charges against Teves for illegal possession of firearms and explosives in relation to the raids conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in his residence on March 10.
“So iyon po, gusto ko lang linawin iyon na, yes, na-dismiss po iyong kaso ni Congressman Arnie Teves doon sa isang kaso pero hindi po ibig sabihin na klaro na po iyong kaniyang record. Marami pa po siyang hinaharap na kaso ng illegal possession of firearms and explosives kasama po iyong mga anak niya and he still considered one of the suspects/as a mastermind behind the slay of Governor Degamo,” said Clavano.
(So to clarify, yes, Congressman Arnie Teves' case was dismissed in one case, but it doesn't mean that his record is clear. He still faces many cases of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, including his children, and he is still considered one of the suspects or a mastermind behind the slaying of Governor Degamo.)
Teves refused to heed the call of the House of Representative leadership for him to return to the country following the expiration of his travel authority to the United States on March 9.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Teves already left the US and is currently “somewhere in Asia.” (SunStar Philippines)