Gabutero reiterates: I killed Reah Mae Tocmo, I was not forced to admit it

Radio station manager offers P100,000 for CCTV footage of alleged new witness

Simeon Gabutero (near the jail bars) inside the detention cell in Labangon Police Station, denied being coerced into confessing to the murder of Reah Mae Tocmo. | via Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Simeon Gabutero Jr. also known as “Gabro” again reiterated his admission that he was the one who killed 19-year-old Reah Mae Tocmo out of jealousy on July 17, 2023.

This was after claims of allegedly a new witness who posted on social media and was interviewed by a radio station accusing Jewel Smith as having been involved in the killing.

READ: Police plead to ‘new witness’ in Reah Mae Tocmo’s murder case to cooperate with authorities

Gabutero: I’m the killer

“Ako ra man. Ako ra man jud. Ako ra may nagbuhat gyud ato,” Gabutero said as he reiterated that his confession was also voluntary and he was not forced by the police to do it.

(I was the only one. I was really the only one. I was only one who did it.)

Gabutero said this from his detention cell at the Labangon Police Station where he faced reporters on Friday, September 1, 2023, to answer speculations that his confession was coerced.

“Wala gyud ko pugsa gyud sa pulis, wala. Niangkon ko kay nabuhat gyud nako. Tinuod gyud to,” he said.

(I was not forced by the pulis. No. I really admitted that I did the crime.)

READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s angry kin confront killer: Bayran ni nimo, malata ka sa prisohan!

Appeal to family

With this, Police Major Angelito Valleser, Labangon Police Station chief, also appealed and encouraged the family of Reah Mae Tocmo, to go to the proper authorities if someone would claim to have evidence about the killing and not post it on social media.

“Mohangyo mi ninyo nga og naay mo-offer ninyo nga kunohay motabang, idangop ninyo sa sakto nga agency. Adto mo sa law enforcement agency nga makatabang kung makatabang man gani ang ilahang information ug tanang ebidensya nga naa sa ilang possession,” he said.

(We appeal to them that if someone would offer allegedly to help them. Then they should go to the proper agency. Go to the law enforcement agency that can help them, if their information and all their evidence in their possession could really help.)

Go to proper authorities, don’t post on social media

Valleser made the call as he also said he understood how the family felt at this time.

“Sa pamilya ni Reah Mae, nila ni ma’am Rotchie, silang Ma’am Grace, sa iyang papa, ug sa tanan nga nagmahal niya, nakasabot mi og unsay sentimento ninyo karon nga nasakitan mo. Nga wa pa mo kadawat sa nahitabo sa inyong igsuon,” he said. 

(To the family of Reah Mae, to Ma’am Rotchie, Ma’am Grace, their father and to all who loved here, we understand your sentiments now that you are hurt. That you had not yet about accepted what happened to your sister.)

He again encouraged them that if they were not satisfied with the investigation and they wanted to get justice for what happened to Reah Mae, then they should approach the proper authorities instead of posting things on social media.

As Valleser made the appeal to the family, he also again denied claims on social media that the police forced the suspect, Gabutero, to sign the extrajudicial confession.

Gabutero again told reporters that he was not forced to admit the killing despite the claims of allegedly a new witness.

READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s death was an accident: ‘Nagbasol ko’, says Simeon Gabutero Jr.

Alleged new witness

A woman, who goes by the alias “Bianca Lee,” had an interview with a radio show on Thursday, August 31, 2023, where she made claimed Jewel Smith was involved in the killing of Reah Mae.

Gabutero, however, said that he had never met Smith and that the alleged witness was only making up stories about what happened.

P100,000 for CCTV footage offer

Meanwhile a radio station manager has offered P100,000 in exchange for the new witness’s evidence that she claimed she had on the Reah Mae Tocmo killing.

Lawyer Ruphil Bañoc, station manager of radio station dyHP, offered P100,000 to Bianca Lee in exchange for the alleged unreleased CCTV footage that she claimed potentially hold crucial information about Reah Mae’s death.

Bañoc made the offer today, September 2, 2023 in his morning program at dyHP, where he showed the P100,000 in cash.

Not forced to admit

Valleser again, for his part, reiterated that the suspect was not forced to admit to the crime.

“Daghan niingon nga gipugos lang kuno sa pulis si Simeon Gabutero pagpa-angkon sa kaso kay naa kunoy dagkong nalambigit nga tawo,” Valleser told reporters on Friday, September 1, 2023.

(Many said that police forced Simeon Gabutero to own the killing because there are big people involved.)

New version difficult to believe

“Lisod kaayo na tuohan nang version nga ingon ana…Kay gipugos kuno, matod pa nila gikulata kuno,” Police Major Valleser said.

(That version is difficult to believe…because it claimed that the suspect was forced, they said that we allegedly beat him.)

READ: Police: Rhea Mae Tocmo’s killing now a ‘closed case’

CHR present in probe

Valleser, however, clarified that the police were not alone in conducting the investigation on the killing of the 19 year-old native of Davao.

He said that personnel from the Commission on Human Rights were also present in the investigation.

“Maka-attest sila nga during sa conduct sa investigation, walay force nga gi-employ ang pulis against sa suspect,” he said.

(They can attest that during the investigation, the police did not employ force against the suspect.)

READ: TIMELINE: The tragic ending of Reah Mae Tocmo

Why probe took time

He also said that the investigation took time because they took every step necessary to ensure that they would catch the real perpetrator behind the crime. 

“Wa gyud na namo buhata nga magdinali mi aning kasoha,” he said. 

(We did not rush the investigation in this case.)

“Gisakto ni namo og investigate. Naa mi tanan nga ebidensya, gikan sa testimony sa tawo, physical evidence. Naa mi CCTV. Naa mi extrajudicial confession sa suspect, including iyang mama ug iyang igsuon,” said Valleser.

(We properly did the investigation. We have all the evidence, from the testimony of the people, physical evidence. We have CCTV footage. We have the extrajudicial confession of the suspect, including the mother and the suspect’s brother.)

Extra-judicial confession

According to him, the execution of the extra-judicial confession of Gabutero, his mother, and his younger brother, were assisted and witnessed by personnel from the Comission on Human Rights to make sure that no force was used to extract information from anyone. 

Valleser said that their priority was that the investigation on who killed Reah Mae and that based on their month-long probe, they had not seen any evidence that would imply that Jewel Smith was involved in the murder.

READ: Reah Mae Tocmo’s family ‘unhappy’ with outcome of police investigation on her death

Issues on Reah Mae’s employment

However, he advised that if there were issues in the nature of the employment of Reah Mae Tocmo in Davao or in Mandaue, the victim’s family could file a case at the place where it happened in order to discover the truth. 

“Bisan unsa nga allegation parte sa iyang pagpanarbaho, pwede sila mofile adto sa Mandaue. Kay mao na ang sakto nga venue nga maka-file sila og kaso,” he said.

(Any allegations on the part of the employment (Reah Mae), they can file there in Mandaue. Because that is the right venue to file the case.)

Gabutero, brother charged

The murder charge against Gabutero and his 15 year-old brother, who earlier admitted to being the back rider who helped his brother get rid of the box, was filed on August 18, 2023. 

Valleser said that they were confident that the case against the two was airtight because the police had recovered complete pieces of evidence. 

READ: Simeon Gabutero’s mother says she was unaware of Reah Mae Tocmo’s murder

If suspect will retract confession, then …

He also said that if Gabutero would ever decide to retract his statement in court, then the case against him would still stand because of the amount of evidence that they had against him.

“Naa mi DNA. Naa mi mga CCTV footage. Mao na nga confident jud mi sa kaso nga gifile namo against aning suspetsado nga si Simeon Gabutero alias “Gabro,” he said. 

(We have the DNA. We have the CCTV footage. That is why we are confident in the case that we filed against the suspect, Simeon Gabutero alias “Gabro.”)

Why suspect’s mother was not included in case

Gabutero’s mother is not included in the case because they had not found any witnesses that could implicate her, said Valleser.

He also said that her extra-judicial confession only narrated that she saw the box that was used to hide Reah Mae’s body.

ALSO READ: Eastern Visayas cop chief orders probe on killings of mom, 2 kids in Samar

Suspect’s brother also charged

The suspect’s 15 year-old brother, however, was included in the murder charge because of his confession to helping his brother dispose of the box and the CCTV footage that caught him in the act.

Valleser said that there was a possibility that a warrant of arrest would be filed against the minor soon.

He said that this was because on Thursday, August 31, 2023, a subpoena has been sent by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against Gabutero and his brother.

With regards to the warrant of arrest against the minor, Valleser said that they were waiting for the decision of the court.

READ: Gabutero also accused of robbery in Toledo, Cebu

Warrant of arrest served for Toledo robbery

On the other hand, Valleser said that personnel from the Toledo Police Station served the warrant of arrest against Gabutero for his earlier case of robbery with force or intimidation against persons on Thursday, August 31.

It can be recalled that Gabutero, along with an accomplice, was accused of robbing a businesswoman in her house in Barangay Media Onse and took off with P80,000 in cash and around P150,000 worth of jewelry and gadgets.