PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar D. Albayalde has tagged Daraga, Albay, Mayor Carlwyn Baldo as the brains behind the murder of Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his security escort, SPO2 Orlando Diaz, last December 22.
Saying the PNP considered the case “solved, but not closed” since some suspects have not been arrested, there is still a possibility someone higher than the mayor may be involved, the PNP chief said.
Albayalde said Baldo had tapped one “Christopher Naval” to carry out the hit.
Naval, in turn, assembled six others, who all happened to be on the payroll of the mayor.
Batocabe’s term in Congress is ending, and he had filed a certificate of candidacy to run for mayor of Daraga, challenging Baldo.
Suspects, persons of interest
ACCORDING to Albayalde, the six suspects mobilized by Naval included rebel returnees and dismissed soldiers. They were listed in the mayor’s payroll as “personal staff” and he said authorities were looking at the possibility these people also acted as guns-for-hire for other groups.
The PNP investigation benefited greatly from the surrender of one Emmanuel Judavar, who was initially included in a plot hatched in August 2018, but had allegedly backed out and subsequently went to the police after last month’s killing.
Judavar was shown by cops a photo of the last gift-giving event graced by Batocabe just before he was gunned down, and the witness identified two persons on the scene, who were neither senior citizens nor persons with disability. They were among the people tagged in the assassination.
The “persons of interest” now tagged as suspects included a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and an ex-Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) officer, and one dishonorably discharged soldier. The rest were dismissed members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Family gratitude
ALSO at the briefing, Batocabe’s son Atty. Justin Batocabe expressed profuse gratitude to authorities for the speedy investigation.
“These fruits of hard labor of our investigators are very much welcome…[Our family has nothing but appreciation for all those who helped.] Thank you, thank you very much to the police,” said the younger Batocabe.
He said the solution of the case “helps the family somehow accept what [had] happened.” But, he added, the notion “of killing someone for money, for a public position—that is something we can never accept.”
Atty. Batocabe declined to say if the family has decided on who will take the slain congressman’s place in the ballot for the mayoral race for May 13.
He explained that under the law, only someone surnamed “Batocabe” can substitute for the slain candidate, but he would not say if he was giving in to pressure to run in his father’s stead.
The young lawyer also noted that Baldo can still run for reelection and even win and assume office, despite the charges having been filed, because the election law requires “final conviction” in a case to disqualify a candidate.
Albayalde said they have filed with the provincial prosecutor this morning charges of double murder and six counts of frustrated murder against Baldo and his cohorts.
Albayalde said among the seven, Naval, alias Tuping, who was identified as a trusted security aide of Baldo, was forced to surrender to the PNP-Intelligence Group (IG) last December 30, due to the relentless police operations jointly conducted by combined elements of Police Regional Office-5 Special Investigation Task Group Batocabe, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and PNP-IG.
Tuping provided investigators with vital information surrounding the assassination of Batocabe.
Accordingly, the plan to assassinate Batocabe was hatched sometime in August 2018, when Batocabe made public his bid to run for mayor of Daraga.
This was corroborated by Judavar, who was involved in the initial planning, but later backed out during the actual assassination.
Judavar earlier came forward and gave his knowledge to the police about the killing of Batocabe.
P5M hit fee
According to Tuping, Baldo allegedly offered P5 million for the hit job on Batocabe sometime in September 2018 and paid an initial amount of P250,000 to Tuping and his group for the purchase of guns and motorcycles.
Tuping’s team is composed mostly of former military, paramilitary personnel and NPA rebels who are presently employed under fictitious names as confidential staff of the Office of the Mayor of Daraga and are each receiving a monthly compensation of P7,000.
Tuping himself was a discharged Army serviceman who once served with the Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB) of the 9th Infantry Division stationed in the Bicol region.
Based on Tuping’s revelation, he purchased two SYM motorcycles in Camalig, Albay, using the assumed name Abelardo Castillo, while another member of the team, Danilo Muella, alias Manoy Dan, acquired two homemade .45-caliber pistols.
Muella is reportedly a former sergeant in the 97th Military Intelligence Company (MICO) of the 9th Infantry Division.
According to Tuping and Judavar, the first attempt on Batocabe was during the congressman’s routine engagements at radio station dzJB and Hotel Venezia in Legazpi City, a pattern that was observed by the group in its casing and surveillance on Batocabe.
Other suspects
Based on the extrajudicial confession of Tuping, revelations made by Judavar, and intelligence research conducted by the IG and CIDG, the other members of Tuping’s team and their individual participation in the murder are as follows:
1) Henry Yuson, alias Romel/Eno, a former NPA rebel arrested by MICO, MIB of 9th IB and who later became a Cafgu member. He was tagged as the main gunman who shot Batocabe allegedly with a .40-caliber pistol.
2) Rolando Arimado, alias RR, a rebel returnee who served as lookout and backup gunman. It was reported that he, likewise, pulled the trigger to kill Batocabe and Diaz on the day of the assassination.
3) Emmanuel Rosello, alias Boboy, a former Cafgu member who drove the other getaway motorcycle. He was arrested earlier by police operatives in Daraga, Albay. The getaway motorcycle was, likewise, seized from his possession.
4) Jaywin Babor, alias Jie, also an ex-Army man who was designated as driver of the getaway motorcycle.
From all indications as revealed by the suspects and witnesses, and physical evidence gathered by the police, the group that killed Batocabe and Diaz is a private armed group employed by the mayor that is involved in contract killing as a gun-for-hire syndicate, Albayalde said.
Cases of double murder and multiple frustrated homicide were filed in Albay against Baldo and his cohorts.
“Immediately effective today, I have ordered the revocation of firearms licenses and PTCFOR [permit to carry firearms outside of residence] of Mayor Baldo and has recommended the removal of his deputation over the local police of Daraga, Albay. This is a victory of the rule of law in this country. This is also a stern warning against those unscrupulous politicians who will resort to violence to gain elected position. The long arms of the law will eventually catch on you,” Albayalde said. With PNA
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza