Operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) escort six suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo for inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice headquarters in Manila on March 23, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Six more suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday.
DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano confirmed that a total of 10 suspects were in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and that they have all sought government protection, which remains to be assessed by the agency.
"We have to look at everything as a whole. Let's say there are layers of people, handler, mastermind at may nakita tayong may threat sa kanilang buhay, 'yun ang titingnan natin in that case hindi na sila 'yung most guilty," he said.
(et's say there are layers of people, handler, mastermind, and we see a threat on their life, that's what we are look at in that case, that they're not the most guilty.)
The suspects will be interviewed on Friday to secure witness protection for their families, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
"We know they don't have any other recourse but to have their families protected and we are willing to do that because they are very important in the case at hand," Remulla said.
"For them itself, it's very hard to know if there are other witness protection later on because we cannot discharge everybody as a state witness at this point in time. We are still getting the whole story straight," he added.