Degamo widow sees 'manipulation' after suspect-witness recants testimony

The widow of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on Tuesday said someone may be manipulating the suspects in the killing of her husband following the recantation of one of them.

"Sa paniniwala namin, the recant[ation] of this suspect is brought about by some people at the agency na talagang 'yun 'yung gumawa ng paraan," Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo told Dobol B TV.

(In our belief, the recantation of this suspect is brought about by some people at the agency who made it happen.)

"It could be someone who used to work with the agency or it could be someone who used to work with the agency and is trying to manipulate some people who are currently working at the agency," she added.

Degamo floated the idea after one of the suspects, Osmundo Rivero, claimed he was coerced into pointing to suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. as the one who ordered the killing of Degamo.

Rivero said the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer assigned to him told him to just give in to the demands of the police to avoid getting hurt. This was denied by PAO lawyer Atty. Jason Bandal.

Asked which agency she was referring to, Mayor Degamo said, "Saan ba sila nakalagay dati [who had them in custody before]?"

The mayor did not elaborate further, but said she has proof to show that "something" happened in the agency.

She also refused to answer whether or not Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla knew about the alleged maneuvering.

"Hindi ko na lang sabihin kung alam o hindi [I won’t tell if he knows about it or not]. But the person I knew from there, I told him…I think that there is a need to correct. If there is a need to correct, they have to see to it that they will really correct," Mayor Degamo said.

The Department of Justice earlier said that the testimonies of suspect-witnesses in the murder of Degamo were not coerced.

Teves, who is out of the country, has repeatedly denied involvement in the killing of Degamo. —KBK, GMA Integrated News