The legal proceedings regarding the murder complaints filed against suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. have hit a snag, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
During a recent news briefing, Remulla disclosed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had encountered obstacles in moving forward with the case. Six to seven suspects, who are also crucial witnesses in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, have chosen to remain silent and sought legal representation.
Remulla emphasized the need for the DOJ to carefully assess the available records in light of this unexpected development. He expressed his anticipation that the witnesses may ultimately retract their previous statements, casting doubt on the progress of the investigation.
“Some of them have refused to speak already and they have not issued another statement and we suspect that they will be changing their statements later on and may make recantation of sorts,” Remulla said.
“There are no recantations yet, but we expect that to happen. It’s a tactic used by people who want to destroy their previous statements, citing several excuses but we expect these statements to hold out,” he added.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended murder charges against six suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. Two individuals named “Cong Teves” as the mastermind.
Suspect-witnesses in Degamo slay refuse to cooperate – DOJ chief
Filing murder complaints against Teves will be delayed by a day and a half, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
Ten murder complaints will be filed against Teves, representing the ten victims. Additional charges of multiple frustrated murders and attempted murders will also be filed.
Authorities are diligently working to ensure a thorough legal process and bring justice to the victims and their families.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla affirmed that this would not impede the filing of appropriate cases against Teves. He emphasized that crucial statements were provided “much earlier and freely” in the presence of witnesses and Public Attorneys Office (PAO) lawyers.
“They were provided with lawyers by some people who are paying for their lawyers who were not there before and obviously, some people are interested in the statements that they want to give and now, they don’t want to cooperate anymore with authorities,” Remulla said.
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