Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr. was the lead mastermind in the murder of Governor Roel Degamo and eight others.

In an interview yesterday, Remulla compared Teves to a “film executive producer” in the killings.

“Kung sa sine, Congressman Teves is executive producer and [Marvin] Miranda is the director and casting director,” Remulla said.

Miranda, one of the alleged masterminds, was caught by authorities last week.

The Justice Secretary said the lawmaker allegedly financed the killings.

“‘Yung mga baril sa kanila galing. Bumibili [sila] ng sasakyan. Fini-finance niya lahat,” Remulla said.

“There’s a lot. Hindi pa namin nilalabas lahat. Basta marami pang iba. Testimonies are part of them,” he added.

Earlier, Remulla said the case was already 99 percent solved and Teves fit in the “middle of everything.”

The case will now proceed to the suspects’ prosecution, he said in a separate press conference.

“We have made significant progress in finally putting this case to a close,” Remulla told the media.

Meanwhile, Teves’ legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio said they would no longer comment on the latest remarks by Remulla.

“We will just await the filing of whatever charges may be made, and say our piece in the proper forum,” Topacio said.

The Secretary believes Miranda, a military reservist, was a mastermind and not a middleman in his role.

“He was the one recruiting people, retrieving the firearms, and he was also involved in getting other people for the plan,” he said.

Around 12 suspects in the killings are now in custody, except one who was killed during a manhunt operation.

On the other hand, Topacio claimed that the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Philippine National Police were violating the detained suspects’ constitutional rights.

“Why are they being moved around the country against their will and subjected to improper pressure and influence to make them testify falsely against Congressman Teves,” he said.

Degamo and eight individuals were killed following an attack at the former governor’s residential compound in Negros Oriental on March 4.

Teves is being tagged in the incident after suspects claimed the lawmaker as the one who ordered the attack.

He denied involvement in the killings and refused to return to the country due to safety concerns./With a report from GMA News /WDJ