Witness who implicates another individual in Degamo slay case surfaces at NBI

NBI logo over a shot of the facade of its headquarters

MANILA, Philippines — A witness who implicated another individual in the murder of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo has surfaced at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

A witness named Marlon Quibod went to the NBI Headquarters in Manila on Wednesday to submit his sworn statement, saying a certain Arnel Libradilla recruited him to join the squad, which would later kill Degamo.

Quibod said this squad worked for a certain “Brownie” which he later identified to be a certain “Mayor Fritz.”

“Iyong tao na ‘yun (Brownie) ay humingi sa amin ng tulong para kontratahin kami na sumama sa isang operasyon tungkol sa pagligpit kay Governor Degamo,” Quibod said in his sworn statement which he read, the video of which was posted to state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

(This person asked us for help to recruit us to an operation to get rid of Governor Degamo.)

“Tumanggi ako dahil ayaw ko po iyon at natatakot dahil ang problema ko lang naman po ay ang aking kaso at paano tutulungan ang aking pamilya,” he said, noting that he has also been charged with attempted homicide and murder back in 2022.

(I declined because I was afraid and I don’t like that, I am only concerned about my case and how to help my family.)

Quibod said that Arnel was also killed following the death of Degamo.

Degamo along with eight provincial staff members and constituents were killed while 16 others, including three provincial officials, were wounded in a gun attack inside the governor’s residential premises in Pamplona town last March 4.

Suspended Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. has been accused of masterminding the killing Degamo, which he vehemently denied. Teves, however, applied for a political asylum in East Timor, which the country later denied.

READ: Suspended Rep. Teves eyeing asylum in Timor Leste, says DOJ chief

JPV