By Nancy Carvajal
The alleged shooter who killed former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was also a member of a gun-for-hire syndicate reportedly tapped by the police in illegal activities, according to documents seen by Politiko.
Osmundo Rivero was identified by the widow of former Zamboanga del Sur barangay captain Napoleon Casocot as the gunman who shot her husband dead during a police raid in April 2019.
“The widow of the late barangay captain Napoleon Casocot was able to identify Mr. Rivero as a suspect when he appeared on national television,” the document read.
Under the alias of Jason Castro Bakiki, Rivero was reportedly used by the local police as the civilian deponent or person who executed an affidavit under oath in its application for a search warrant on Casocot’s home.
Casocot’s widow claimed that policemen ordered her husband to run towards a secluded area after failing to find firearms inside his home. He was reportedly killed after fleeing.
The police allegedly claimed that they shot Casocot because he fought back during the law enforcement operations. The autopsy, however, showed that he didn’t fire a gun and his hands didn’t have any gunpowder residue.
Murder charges have been filed against two police officers in connection with Casocot’s death, while an administrative complaint was lodged against the judge who granted the search warrant.
In addition to allegedly working with the police, Rivero also reportedly worked as a bodyguard of a former congressman in Zamboanga del Sur.
A witness in the March 4 assassination of Degamo identified Rivero as the one who shot the former governor dead inside his home.
Rivero was allegedly identified by the witness because his face mask was placed down to his chin as he fired at Degamo. He is now in custody of authorities and facing murder charges over the killing.
