Justice Secretary 'Boying' Remulla on Wednesday claimed that Marvin Miranda is the "director" behind the recantation of the suspects in the assassination of former Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.
Miranda is the former aide of suspended Negros Oriental Congressman Arnolfo 'Arnie' Teves Jr., and he is tagged as the alleged co-mastermind in the Degamo slay.
"When Miranda and [former Justice undersecretary Renate] Orseo started talking. That's when the discussion with the other suspects transpired. Now we can see that Miranda, true to form, as we said the director of everything, director of the massacre, once again directing the activities around how they going to make everybody recant," Remulla told reporters in a press briefing.
"True to his billing as a co-principal or co-conspirator... and co-principal, co-mastermind together with Congressman [Arnie] Teves, so everybody is behaving just true to form of what they have been billed as before," he added.
Miranda was arrested in Barangay Mayabay, Barbaza, Antique, on March 31. The justice department earlier indicted him with 9 counts of murder, 3 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder.
A total of 10 suspects have executed their affidavit of recantation which denied that they were involved in the killing of Degamo and denied that Teves is the main mastermind in the crime.
On May 19, Jhudiel Rivero first recanted his earlier testimony through his lawyer Danny Villanueva. Four others namely Dahniel Lora, Rommel Pattaguan, Rogelio Antipolo, and Joven Javier then followed.
The remaining five suspects identified as Winrich Isturis, Eulogio Gonyon Jr., John Louie Gonyon, Joric Labrador, and Benjie Rodriguez also submitted their recantation earlier this week.
But according to Remulla, the recantation could be considered a crime.
"We are not claiming but we think that these stories are being made by spin masters or spin doctors that they have employed. Of course, their choreographer right now is a guy named Atty. Villanueva," he added.
The Justice Secretary then noted that the recantation will not affect the case.
