Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla during the Joint Press Briefing of Special Task Force Degamo on April 3, 2023 at Philippine National Police National Headquarters. Photo: Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines —Six or seven suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo have now “lawyered up” and are refusing to talk, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.
In explaining the meaning of ‘lawyered up,’ Remulla said, “they were provided with lawyers by some people who are paying for their lawyers who were not there before.”
“And obviously, some people are interested in the statements they want to give and now they don’t want to cooperate anymore with authorities,” Remulla told reporters.
Asked who provided the lawyers, Remulla replied, “There is a conspiracy, and there’s probably people with a lot of money operating within the conspiracy to be able to afford the lawyers they are now getting.”
Some of these suspects have surrendered to the military, he noted.
Both the suspects who surrendered and those who were immediately arrested immediately after the attack were turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation for debriefing and questioning.
The justice secretary said the suspects “were provided with lawyers from the Public Attorney’s Office, and they gave their statements to the prosecutors, the NBI.”
“Together with that, we also gave them witness protection for their families so that they can be with their families and they will not feel threatened,” he said.
The suspects’ refusal to cooperate, Remulla said, is the reason for the delay in the filing of a case against suspended Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr.
“That made us review everything that is there within our grasp. So, that is the reason why there is a bit of delay,” he said.
Still, he said they would push through with the filing of the case, especially since the suspects have given their statements freely with CCTV and cameras, in front of witnesses and PAO lawyers.
This was done to dispel any notion that they were coerced or threatened into making those statements.
“This is all being taken into consideration so that the complaints will contain accurate descriptions of what happened, especially when the complaint against Congressman Teves is brought forward within the next few days,’ he said, adding the case will probably be filed this Wednesday.