MANILA, Philippines – A former member of the Army and one of the suspects in the murder of AKO Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe surrendered to police on Friday.
Jaywin Babor, alias “Jie,” has been placed under the custody of police’s intelligence group at Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, said PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde in a press briefing in Camarines Sur.
Babor is the alleged driver of the getaway motorcycle used after Batocabe and his police escort SPO2 Orlando Diaz was gunned down in Albay last December 22.
He went into hiding in Metro Manila after the alleged assassination plot was fulfilled in Daraga, according to Albayalde.
Other suspects already in police custody were Christopher Naval, a discharged Army member and alleged trusted security aide of Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo; former militiaman Emmanuel Rosello; and alleged gunman and former New People’s Army member Henry Yuson.
Albayalde said testimonies of four suspects in their custody and a suspect-turned-witness Emmanuel Bonita Judavar point to Baldo as the mastermind in the assassination.
READ: PNP: Daraga mayor is Batocabe slay ‘mastermind’
Albayalde also said most of the suspects chose to surrender to authorities after Baldo purportedly failed to give them his allegedly promised P5 million reward for killing the party-list lawmaker.
READ: Main gunman in Batocabe slay surrenders
Two of the six suspects — rebel returnee Rolando Arimado and a former member of the military Danilo Muella — in the murder of Batocabe and Diaz remain at large, as of this posting. /kga