Witness turns up, says ‘Mayor Fritz’ recruited him in Degamo killing

A man who was allegedly recruited to kill Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on Wednesday said it was a certain ‘Mayor Fritz’ who attempted to hire him.

According to Glen Juego’s report on Super Radyo dzBB, Marlon Quibod went directly to the Information Division of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to submit his sworn statement.

FLASH REPORT: Nagpakilalang testigo na umano'y may nalalaman sa pagpatay kay Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, lumutang sa NBI sa Quezon City; isang alyas Brownie na kalaunan ay nakilalang “Mayor Fritz,” kasama umano sa nagplano sa krimen. | via @glenjuego pic.twitter.com/s3IvMCOUP8

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) May 10, 2023

In his statement, Quibod said he met Arnel Libradilla, a slain suspect in the killing of Degamo and an alleged member of the New People’s Army, in October 2022 after he went into hiding.

He said Libradilla brought him to the Dauin Cockpit on January 2023 to urge him to work for an alias Brownie.

“Tinanong ko siya kung sino si Brownie, tapos tinawagan niya sa video call si Brownie. Iyong tao na ‘yun ay humingi ng tulong para kontratahin kami na sumama sa isang operasyon tungkol sa pagligpit kay Governor Degamo,” Quibod said.

(I asked him who Brownie was and then he called Brownie through a video call. That person then contracted out help in an operation to kill Governor Degamo.)

After refusing, he said he later found out that Degamo had been assassinated and that Libradilla was also killed in an encounter with police authorities.

“Pagkatapos po noon nakita ko sa mga balita ang nangyari at itong mga nakaraang linggo na si Brownie pala ay si Mayor Fritz,” he said.

(After that, I saw in the news what happened and that Brownie is Mayor Fritz.)

According to Quibod, he refused the offer as he was already troubled by his present case of attempted homicide or murder.

“Tumanggi ako dahil ayaw ko po iyon at natatakot dahil ang problema ko lang naman po ay ang aking kaso at paano tutulungan ang aking pamilya kasi ang mga ganyang gawain na ‘yan mismo ang nagpahamahak sa buhay ko,” he said.

(I refused because I don’t want that and I was afraid because my only problem is my case and how to help my family. My life was endangered precisely because of things like that.)

On March 4, Degamo and eight others were killed while several others were injured after an attack on the late governor’s home in Negros Oriental. The death toll due to the incident climbed to 10 on Sunday.—LDF, GMA Integrated News