A Manila court has convicted three men implicated in the March 2023 daylight shooting that killed former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and several others.
Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40 found Joric Garrido Labrador, Joven Calibjo Javier and Benjie Rodriguez guilty beyond reasonable doubt in separate cases involving illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives.
The Department of Justice said the convictions were secured in connection with the March 4, 2023 attack at Degamo’s residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.
Labrador was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition under Section 28 of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.
He was sentenced to imprisonment ranging from eight years, eight months and one day as minimum to 10 years, eight months and one day as maximum.
The court also disqualified Labrador from applying for a license to possess firearms and ordered the revocation of all his existing firearm licenses.
Javier and Rodriguez were separately convicted of unlawful possession of explosives or incendiary devices under Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 1866, as amended by Republic Act No. 9516.
Both were sentenced to reclusion perpetua.
The court ordered the confiscation in favor of the government of a .45-caliber Springfield Armory pistol, two magazines, 14 rounds of live ammunition and two hand grenades recovered from the accused.
The firearms and explosives were recovered during the police investigation into the Degamo shooting.
The DOJ said law enforcement officers were immediately notified of the attack and conducted an investigation in Pamplona.
The investigation included a review of closed-circuit television footage and the pursuit of getaway vehicles.
The RTC upheld the validity of the warrantless arrests after ruling that the circumstances surrounding the shooting formed a continuous sequence of events leading to the arrest of the accused and the recovery of the firearms and explosives.
The court also found that the recovered items were properly identified and that their handling was sufficiently established through the testimonies of police officers and other witnesses.
The case stemmed from the March 4, 2023 attack at Degamo’s residence, where armed men opened fire, killing the former governor and several others.
The DOJ said the convictions demonstrate the government’s efforts to hold those responsible for crimes linked to the attack accountable.
“Impunity should never triumph over justice. We shall hold accountable anyone who transgresses the rule of law,” Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida said.#