2 more Batocabe gunmen surrender
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2019 09:33:32 +0000
Two more alleged members of the kill team behind the twin assassination of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his escort, SPO2 Orlando Diaz, surrendered to authorities yesterday as the Philippine National Police took a step closer in clearing the case.
PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, identified the two suspects as Danilo Muella, alias “Manoy Dan,” whom police said purchased the guns used in the killing; and Rolando Arimado, alias “RR,” who allegedly served as a back-up gunman.
Albayalde said that Muella first surrendered to the Regional Intelligence Office of the Bicol Provincial Police Office around 1 a.m. while Arimado submitted himself to police in Masbate around 7 a.m.
Muella, reportedly a former Technical Sergeant in the 97th Military Intelligence Company of the 9th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, allegedly acquired the two home-made pistols used by the gunmen in the hit job.
Albayalde said Muella is a trusted security aide of Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo, who was the pinpointed
mastermind in the killing.
Albayalde noted that Arimado is an alleged rebel returnee who acted as a lookout and back-up gunman of the group.
After Arimado’s surrender and a brief negotiation with his wife and son, the suspect was shuttled to Bicol
and was taken into custody under heavy guard by the Albay and Masbate Provincial Police Offices, Alba-yalde disclosed.
“This latest development is expected to complete the puzzle in uncovering the truth behind this double murder and multiple frustrated murder case,” Albayalde noted.
Muella and Arimado’s surrender came after Albayalde announced the other day that Henry Yuson, the self-confessed main gunman; and Jaywin Babor, one of the drivers of the get-away motorcycles, also yielded to authorities.
Excluding Baldo, all members of the six-man kill team have been arrested or surrendered to authorities.
Albayalde first announced a major breakthrough in the case of Batocabe and Diaz’s killing last Jan. 3 at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. According to Albayalde, police were able to get a good lead in the case when they located Emmanuel Judavar, a former military man and security aide of Baldo who was initially
part of the assassination plot. He allegedly backed out of the plan after Baldo refused to lend him money for his sick wife and child.
Judavar identified all the members of the kill team, the PNP chief noted. One by one, the suspects started yielding to authorities after a sustained pressure from the investigators.
The first to surrender was Christopher Naval, alias “Tuping,” a discharged Army man who served with the Military Intelligence Battalion of the 9th Infantry Division, Philippine Army stationed in Bicol and also a close security aide of Baldo. He yielded to the PNP-Intelligence Group on Rizal Day.
Naval allegedly formed the kill team after he received P250,000 from Baldo in September 2018.
The assassination plot was hatched as early as August 2018 when Batocabe announced in public his desire to be the mayor of Daraga, Albayalde said.
Last Jan. 3, police arrested Emmanuel Rosello, alias “Boboy,” who served as one of the drivers of the get-away motorcycles. Police seized from his possession a black SYM motorcycle believed to be used by the suspects in their escape.
Albayalde said Rosello is a former member of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit, an auxillary force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Henry Yuson, alias “Romel” and “Eno,” the self-confessed main gunman, surrendered to the Philippine Army in Sorsogon on Jan. 3. Police later served an arrest warrant against him over a rape charge.
Yuson is a former member of the New People’s Army who later became a CAFGU after he was arrested by the military intelligence operatives of the 9th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army. (Martin Sadongdong)