By Prince Golez
The Marcos administration will ask the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to issue a Blue Notice against the suspects in the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said.
“Well, we have taken precautions and we will take further precautions kasi padagdag nang padagdag ‘no iyong mga kaso natin. So all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps na maglabas po ng international lookout bulletin, pinagpag-usapan po natin ang paglagay ng mga tao sa blue list, sa Interpol ‘no – Blue Notice,” Clavano said in a media briefing Saturday.
According to the INTERPOL website, the color-coded notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts that allow police in member countries to share critical crime-related information and are issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country.
The Blue Notice are used to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.
Clavano said the notice will enable the government to track the movements of the respondents.
“We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware ‘no doon sa movements ng ating mga respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital doon sa ating investigation,” the DOJ official said.
“Dahil po ilalagay na sila sa international lookout bulletin, mayroon po tayong records kung saan sila pumunta, anong petsa po sila umalis – iyon po ‘yung mga relevant data na makukuha natin dahil ilalagay po natin sila sa lookout bulletin,” he added.
Clavano said that charges have been filed against the four gunmen apprehended near the scene of the crime.
The government is investigating 10 more individuals, according to him.
“Mas marami pa po ‘no sa sampu iyong na involved sa investigation ho natin. Lumalabas po sa mga statements na mayroon po tayong parang layering na tinatawag ‘no – so mayroon po tayong mga gunmen, mga directly involved po doon sa assassination bilang driver, lookout iyong mga ganoon… tapos meron ho tayong handler or parang middleman ‘no na tinatawag. So ito iyong nagsisilbing parang layer of security doon sa ating mastermind,” he said.
Clavano added that the case is “solid,” and that the government only needs to close all the little gaps.
He said Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo Teves “is one of those that we are suspecting to be the mastermind behind the Degamo slay.”
He, however, noted that “everyone has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.”
“We cannot condemn ‘no, we have to let the wheels of justice turn. Hindi tayo pwede mag-convict sa media agad-agad, kailangan po dumaan sa tamang proseso,” said Clavano.
The official shared that there are still eight cases filed against the lawmaker, despite the dismissal of one illegal possession of firearms case.
“So iyon po ‘no, gusto ko lang linawin iyon na, yes, na-dismiss po iyong kaso ni Congressman Arnie Teves doon sa isang kaso pero hindi po ibig sabihin na klaro na po iyong kaniyang record. Marami pa po siyang hinaharap na kaso ng illegal possession of firearms and explosives kasama po iyong mga anak niya and he still considered one of the suspects/as a mastermind behind the slay of Governor Degamo,” he also said.
Teves has yet to return to the Philippines after his travel authority expired on March 9.
