Suckered Henry Yuson, one of the alleged designated gunmen in the murder of Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe, pointed to Daraga City Mayor Carlwyn Baldo as the brains behind the heinous plot after claiming to have been duped of the money for the hit job. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO">Suckered Henry Yuson, one of the alleged designated gunmen in the murder of Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe, pointed to Daraga City Mayor Carlwyn Baldo as the brains behind the heinous plot after claiming to have been duped of the money for the hit job. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Betrayal and non-payment of an agreed amount to an assassin led to the tagging of Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo in the killing of Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe.

Thus, revealed Henry Yuson, the self-confessed gunman in the Batocabe murder when he was presented yesterday to media by Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde in Camarines Sur.

Yuson was arrested Thursday night by elements of the Albay Provincial Police Office by virtue of an outstanding warrant of arrest for rape with no bail recommended issued by Judge Ignacio Barcillano Jr., presiding judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 13 of Ligao City.

He confessed he was ordered by Baldo to kill Batocabe to “ensure he (Baldo) will remain as mayor” in exchange for a fee.

“I was only ordered by Mayor Carlwyn Baldo to kill Congressman Batocabe in exchange for a fee, but I did not get a single centavo… they betrayed me,” Yuson said.

Yuson, however, did not say how much he was promised for the mission.

Earlier, PNP investigation had revealed Baldo allegedly offered P5 million for the killing of Batocabe, who was far ahead in the local survey for the battle of Daraga mayorship race before he was gunned down.

“I apologize to the family of Congressman Batocabe. I was only ordered by Mayor Baldo,” said Yuson, a former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who has since turned government militiaman and worked as security for Baldo.

Yuson is now under the custody of the Albay PPO and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region 5 (CIDG-5).

With four suspects now in police custody, including the gunman, Albayalde is optimistic that the PNP has an “airtight case” against Baldo.

“With the gunman in custody, we now have an airtight case that we will present in court to ensure successful prosecution of all accused,” Albayalde said.

“This will further tighten the noose around the necks of the suspects. We will not rest until all of them are thrown to rot in jail for the rest of their lives,” he added.

For Baldo, Albayalde said the mayor will have his time to defend himself in court.

Jaywin Babor, a former soldier who served as driver of one of the two getaway motorcycles used after the killing, surrendered to police Thursday in Camp Crame.

The PNP said Yuson shot Batocabe with a caliber .40 pistol.

Another gunman, Rolando Arimado, who is also a rebel returnee, is still being hunted down along with two other suspects.

Those believed involved are Danilo Muella, who acquired two caliber .45 pistols believed to have been used by Arimado in the murder, and Emmanuel Rosello, the driver of another getaway motorcycle.

Police investigators were led to Baldo and the armed group, believed to have been activated by Christopher Naval, alias Tuping, after Emmanuel Judavar surrendered.

Naval, on the other hand, was forced to yield to police due to relentless operation.

Said to be a trusted aide of Baldo, Naval surrendered to the PNP-Intelligence Group last 30 December.

In an interrogation, Naval confessed the plan to assassinate Batocabe was hatched sometime in August 2018 when he announced his bid for the mayoral post of Daraga.

This was corroborated by Judavar who was involved in the initial planning but allegedly backed out during the actual assassination.

Last September, it was Naval who alleged that Baldo offered P5 million for the killing of Batocabe. Initially, the mayor supposedly paid P250,000 to Naval and his group to buy firearms and motorcycles for use in the plot.

The plan was finally staged last 22 December while Batocabe was on a gift-giving activity with senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Daraga. Also killed was Batocabe’s security aide SPO2 Orlando Diaz.

Yuson corroborated Naval’s confession saying, “They (Navala and Muella) were really the ones talking all the time about killing Congressman Batocabe.”

Double murder charges and multiple frustrated homicide were filed against Baldo and six others who are all employed by the mayor as his personal staff using fictitious names.

Año also said that the PNP has a “very strong” case against Baldo, who was recommended to be relieved of his deputation over the Daraga Municipal Police Station.

Apart from the criminal charges, Año said the DILG is preparing a case against Baldo before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Administrative cases are also being filed in the Ombudsman, so we can request immediately the preventive suspension of the mayor and then, on Monday, (we will have a) Napolcom en banc meeting to cancel or suspend or remove his police deputation over Daraga PNP,” he said.

The PNP also asked the justice department to issue lookout bulletins against Baldo who denied any involvement in the killing.

Following the development, Albayalde said police now consider Batocabe’s case to be “solved but not yet closed,” since not all suspects have been arrested.

“We will do everything to arrest the remaining suspects (on the loose),” he said.

The Daraga mayor, meanwhile, had denied his involvement in the murder.

“I assert my innocence. Let us not forget that while I’m being used as convenient scapegoat, those who are truly responsible for the crime remain free and blameless,” Baldo said at a press conference.

Earlier, Batocabe’s eldest son, Justin Batocabe, had said their family would stay in politics, seeing it as the “best way to get back” at his father’s killers as the lawmaker’s widow, Gertie, is “open to thinking about” running for mayor in Daraga town in place of her husband.

“It’s to show them that despite this, we are strong and we are still ready to serve. We will give everything that we have for the people,” the younger Batocabe said in a TV interview on Thursday.