PNP ‘inching closer’ to unmasking brains behind NegOr guv slay

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday that four suspects have expressed willingness to cooperate with investigators. (File photo by Alfred Frias via Philippine News Agency/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it is getting closer to identifying those behind the attack that resulted in the death of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others on Saturday.

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City on Monday that four suspects have expressed willingness to cooperate with investigators.

“The continuing investigation into the death of nine persons in Negros Oriental, including Governor Roel Degamo, has uncovered promising leads from evidence and testimonies that will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the identification of key players in this multiple murder case,” Azurin said.

A fifth suspect was killed during an encounter around 9 p.m. Saturday in Barangay Cansumalig, Bayawan City, after he refused to surrender and traded shots with law enforcers.

On Sunday morning, another suspect identified as Osmundo Rivero, a taxi driver, was arrested, also in Bayawan City.

Azurin said authorities recovered vests, signaling that the attack was planned.

“They were well-armed, they were all in military outfits, in combat boots and they have the vehicles,” Azurin said.

He added that a lawyer from the Department of Justice is assisting the suspects in preparing their sworn statements and other legal documents.

“And true enough, these arrested suspects, provided information that led to the recovery of the large cache of assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, handguns, ammunition, and body armor vests, all believed to have been used in the attack on Governor Degamo’s residence in Municipality of Pamplona,” said Azurin.

The first three suspects were arrested hours after the Saturday morning assault at the governor’s residential compound in Pamplona town — Joric Labrador, 50, married, of Cagayan de Oro City; Joven Aber, 42, married, of Barangay Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental; and Benjie Rodriguez, 45, married, and a resident of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental.

All three were former Army soldiers, one of them a Scout Ranger, who held the rank of corporal but were dishonorably discharged due to alleged involvement in illegal drugs and for being absent without official leave.

The Scout Ranger unit trains soldiers in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, raids, ambushes, close-quarters combat, urban warfare and sabotage.

Cagayan de Oro (2nd District) Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has confirmed that Labrador was his security aide for four years, after which he terminated him in 2014 for alleged drug addiction.

He added that the Regional Forensic Group for Central Visayas is conducting an examination on the recovered weapons and equipment as well as the three getaway vehicles earlier found abandoned in Barangay Cansumalig, where the three former Army soldiers were nabbed.

“Definitely these things have to stop. We said that whoever he is, for as long as the evidence would lead to him, we will pursue the case until the end. That is the stand of the PNP leadership and I believe that is also the stand of our government to include no less than our Interior Secretary (Benjamin Abalos Jr.),” Azurin said.

Azurin likewise ordered the command group to look into the possible reshuffling of personnel as well as investigation on security lapses of the local police.

“Why did this unfortunate incident happen? Nagkulang ba tayo sa [intelligence]? Nagkulang ba tayo sa pag-abiso sa ating VIP [Very Important Persons] considering nga na alam natin ‘yung threat level ni Governor Degamo (Have we lacked in [intelligence]? Did we fail to notify our VIPs considering that we know Governor Degamo’s threat level),” said Azurin.

The incident could have been prevented if the police in the area intercepted the vehicles on the basis of a law prohibiting the use of blinkers for private-owned cars, Azurin said.

He assured the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines will do everything to uncover the mastermind.

“I continue to make an appeal to our people in Negros Oriental to not be afraid, provide us the information, the evidence, and your PNP will do the rest,” he said.