SIDEBAR
The tale of a scared but griping “ghost employee,” backed by selfies and group pictures of senior citizens and persons with disabilities, became an essential piece of the puzzle that helped the police solve the killing of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe in Daraga, Albay last December.
At the start investigation on the death of Batocabe and his police escort, SPO2 Orlando Diaz, Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, said that the police intelligence community was able to locate Emmanuel Judavar who used to work for Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo as confidential staff.
Corpus said that police intelligence agents started to look for Judavar since he was known to be part of the security team of Baldo.
It was recalled that aside from the involvement of communist rebels, police have looked into local politics as the most likely motive behind the death of Batocabe who had declared his intention to run against Baldo in the midterm elections in May.
Police investigators thought that they could get something from Judavar. And they did.
Police intelligence agents found Judavar and Corpus said they found out that he had severed ties with Baldo over some personal differences.
“During that time, he felt that the group was looking for him,” said Corpus, referring to the close security team of Baldo who were charged with two counts of murder and multiple counts of frustrated murder over the killings of Batocabe and Diaz.
They were Henry Yuson, Rolando Arimado, Emmanuel Rosello, Jaywin Babor, Christopher Cabrera Naval, and Danilo Muella.
The six security men of Baldo, along with Judavar, were reportedly employed under fictitious names as confidential staff of the Office of the Mayor.
It was then that Judavar, who carries the alias “Jude,” started squealing some names and even spilled the beans on the August 2018 plot to liquidate Batocabe.
Corpus said Judavar backed out of the plan after clashing with Baldo. Judavar took a gun with him before he left, an act which allegedly drew the ire of the group.
His knowledge of the assassination plot and its eventual execution on Dec. 22 that left Batocabe dead made Judavar more scared as he felt several times that the group was already looking for him.
The problem, however, was to how to find corroborating pieces of evidence that would verify the story of Judavar.
Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police, said that Judavar positively identified all the six security escorts of Baldo as his co-plotters in the killing of Batocabe.
And during that time, some members of senior citizens’ and persons with disabilities groups started sending photos to the police in order to provide the investigators a clue on the identity of the gunmen.
Based on the investigation, the gunmen mingled with the senior citizens before they shot Batocabe and Diaz dead.
During a review of the photos, Albayalde said that police investigators noticed two people – Rosello and Babor –who are identified with Baldo and were among those pinpointed by Judavar as among the crowd of senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Rosello and Babor served as the drivers of the motorcycles used as getaway vehicles of the gunmen.
“Meron doon nakuhanan ng picture na he was not a member of the PWDs at saka ‘yung senior citizen na gift-giving. Nakita naka-istambay doon si Emmanuel Rosello at si Babor,” said Albayalde.
Police investigators then became confident that they have a case against Mayor Baldo.
Baldo was further pinned down when Naval surrendered and started corroborating the testimony of Judavar and even provided more.
“According to Tuping, Mayor Baldo allegedly offered P5 million for the hit job on Batocabe sometime in September 2018 and paid an initial amount of P250,000 to Tuping and his group for the purchase of guns and motorcycles,” said Albayalde.
Police have filed murder and two counts of murder charges against Baldo.
Albayalde said it is yet to be decided whether or not Judavar and Naval would get a share of the P50-million reward offered for the solution of the Batocabe slay, including P20 million from President Duterte.
He said that Judavar is not considered suspect and is being treated as a witness. Albayalde said they are leaving to the court whether or not Naval would be considered as a state witness. (Aaron B. Recuenco)
