Police say alleged main gunman in Batocabe case surrendered

FILE: The Arcilla Hall of Bicol University is filled with people celebrating the well-lived life of Cong. Rodel M. Batocabe. (Photo: AKO BICOL Party List/Facebook)

The suspect in the killing of AKO Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe, whom the Philippine National Police (PNP) tagged as the main gunman, turned himself to the authorities on Thursday, January 3, according to reports.

In media reports, Chief Superintendent Amador Corpus, head of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), said Henry Yuson surrendered himself to the military in Sorsogon. He is now under the custody of Albay provincial police director and the CIDG Bicol.

Yuson’s surrender came on the same day PNP chief, Oscar Albayalde revealed that the mastermind behind Batocabe’s killing was Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo.

[READ: PNP reveals mastermind behind Batocabe slay]

Albayalde earlier said Baldo hired six individuals to kill the congressman last December.

He then named the two gunmen in the killing: one is Yuson who was reported to have shot Batocabe with a .45-caliber pistol, and the other gunman was Rolando Arimado who served as a lookout. Both Yuson and Arimado are former members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

The PNP chief said one of the suspects, Christopher Cabrera Naval alias “Tuping” who surrendered to the police, told them that Baldo offered the six-man hit team five million pesos for Batocabe’s slay and gave them an initial amount of P250,000 to buy guns and motorcycles that they will use for the assassination.

However, according to ABS-CBN’ report, Yuson said Baldo did not give them the money after they killed Batocabe.

On the other hand, a report by CNN Philippines said Yuson turned himself to the police because of his old case. The suspect was reported to have a standing warrant of arrest for rape.

After Albaylde made the accusation, Baldo defended himself from the PNP’s claim, asserting that he was not the mastermind behind the murder of Batocabe, who was killed along with his security escort, Senior Police Officer (SPO) 1 Orlando Diaz.

“I assert my innocence. Let us not forget that while I am being used as a convenient scapegoat, those who are truly responsible for the crime remain free and blameless,” he said in a press briefing.

The incumbent mayor of Daraga, the town where Batocabe was eyeing the mayoral seat, said although he was an “easy target” of such accusations, it does not mean that he is guilty of ordering the lawmaker to be killed.

[READ: Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo denies being the mastermind of Batocabe slay]