3 more suspects recant affidavits in Degamo slay case

By Joel R. San Juan @jrsanjuan1573

However, Department of Justice (DOJ) Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said the supposed recantations have not been officially submitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Fadullon added that the recantation of some of the suspects is expected following their decision to hire their private counsels.

“ We expect that recantations will be made by suspects. It is their right to do so especially now that they lawyered up at this time,” Fadullon said.

“So say that they recanted, assuming that we received the copies already does not mean that the recantations will prove that the earlier statements they gave are actually untrue,” he explained.

Fadullon, however, could not say how these recantations would affect the complaint recently filed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Teves before the DOJ which is set for preliminary investigation (PI).

Let us see how it happens when the PI is actually set. If they will submit [their recantations], then we will leave it to the panel how they will evaluate these statements,” Fadullon said.

T he DOJ official also expressed confidence that the prosecution has still strong and sufficient evidence to pin down those responsible in the Degamo killing despite the recantations.

So far, four suspects have already recanted having knowledge or participation in the Degamo slay case.

First to recant was suspect Osmundo Rivero, who accused police investigators of torturing and coercing him into admitting his participation in the crime.

In his recantation, Rivero also disclosed that the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) lawyer assigned to him even tried to convince him to just give in to the demands of the police to avoid getting hurt.

R ivero claimed that he was beaten up, strangled and suffocated by investigators to force him into admitting that it was Teves who ordered the attack on Degamo’s residence.

T he other suspects who recanted were identified by their lawyer Danny Villanueva as Rommel Pattaguan, Rogelio Antipolo Jr. and Dahniel Lora. All of the four suspects are being assisted by Villanueva.

“In so far as I am concerned, as I can only speak for my four clients, our four clients had already executed an affidavit of recantation,” Villanueva said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.

V illanueva said Antipolo Jr., whose affidavit was used by the DOJ to indict Miranda in the case, only signed the affidavit out of fear for his and his family’s safety.

Mr. Antipolo denies having any knowledge about it [affidavit]. So he can only surmise that this information comes from the police officers