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Friday, March 29, 2024

Probe Degamo’s five escorts not on duty on fatal day—Speaker

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Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday called for a congressional inquiry over the failure of several police escorts of slain Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo to report for duty on the day he was gunned down in his own house.

Based on reports, the Speaker said, five out of Degamo’s six Philippine National Police escorts did not show up for duty on March 4, when a group of gunmen entered his house and fired upon the governor, killing him and eight others.

“Governor Degamo had earlier reported to the police about the threats to his life so it stands to reason that his security detail should have implemented stricter measures to ensure his safety. That’s why it’s highly suspicious that these police escorts were missing on the day he was killed,” Romualdez said.

He urged the committee on public order and safety, chaired by Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, to investigate the matter.

“It appears that the perpetrators were aware of the fact that Governor Degamo had practically no protection so they could easily accomplish their mission to assassinate him,” he said.

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“We don’t want to blindly accuse anyone, but the circumstances apparently point to collusion between some members of the PNP and the perpetrators of this dastardly crime,” he said.

Romualdez cited the parallels between the killing of Degamo and the 2019 assassination of Ako Bicol party-list representative Rodel Batocabe, who was then running for mayor of Daraga, Albay.

Despite reports of threats to his life, two of Batocabe’s three police escorts were pulled out days before he was fatally shot.

“If we find out in this congressional inquiry that some PNP personnel were in cahoots with the perpetrators to remove the security protection of Governor Degamo, we will recommend the filing ofappropriate criminal charges against everyone involved,” Romualdez said.

Over the weekend, Department of National Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. encouraged the public to share with authorities all the information they might know about Degamo’s murder.

In a statement Saturday night, Galvez assured the public that the government would use all the information they would gather “to get the justice everyone deserves.”

He said the joint special task force, which consists of the ArmedForces of the Philippines and the PNP, would carry out President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s orders to step up joint enforcement operations in Negros to ensure such incidents do not happen again.

Galvez, along with AFP chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino and PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, will help supervise the task force.

Medardo de Lemos, National Bureau of Investigation chief, is alsodesignated as a task force commander.

Galvez and Centino were in Negros Oriental on Saturday to visit the wake of Degamo at the provincial capitol in Dumaguete City and meet with Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the late governor’s wife.

They also visited the 302nd Infantry Brigade, led by Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, and the newly deployed Light Reaction Company in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.

The unit will join the newly created task force.

Galvez assured the families of the slain victims that justice will be attained, and peace will once again reign in the province.

“The President is very firm in his guidance to solve the case as swiftly as possible, and bring these lawless elements to justice,” he said. “There is always time for reckoning and this day is that time.”

Also on Saturday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the joint special task force is nearing the resolution of the case.

“With the pieces of evidence at hand, the special task force believes we are nearing the solution of these cases. We are just fine-tuning ang finalizing some of the evidence at hand, including materialrevelation and pieces of evidence… collected by the Forensic Group of the PNP,” she said.

“The STF is really confident that in the coming days, we can unmask already the people behind this heinous crime,” she added.

Fajardo also said the assault rifle used to gun down Degamo was seized from suspects in hot pursuit operations. This was confirmed through ballistic analysis and cross-matching examination, she said.

The STF is also examining the other firearms used and investigating the original owner, seller, and buyer of the vehicles used in the assassination, she said.

She also said six employees of embattled Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. who were present during a series of raids on his properties are now under the custody of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

A political rival of Degamo, Teves has been charged with three murders from 2019 and has been linked to the governor’s killing.

Meanwhile, more troops were deployed in Negros Oriental on Sunday,following orders to secure parts of the region as the search for the killers of Degamo continued.

The AFP Visayas Command said the soldiers were composed of personnel from the six Army Battalions in Negros Island: the 11th Infantry Battalion; 94th Infantry Battalion; 79th Infantry Battalion; 62nd Infantry Battalion; 15th Infantry Battalion and the 47th Infantry Battalion.

The newly-deployed army men are stationed in the second and third districts of Negros Oriental.

AFP Visayas Command commander Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo said the deployment was made to ease the tension in the province and to encourage witnesses to come out and provide information on the assassination and other unsolved killings on the island.

Arevalo said that the troops will be working hand in hand with the PNP to intensify security efforts in the area.

“There will be no letup in our security efforts with the PNP. As mentioned by Senior Undersecretary (Carlito) Galvez Jr., this is the day of reckoning, and we will never falter in our efforts to enforce the full might of the law and restore peace and order in the entire Negros Island,” he added.

Defense Undersecretary Galvez said on Friday that the AFP would deploy military personnel in Negros Island to address lawless violence and restore peace following the killing of Governor Degamo.

A gun ban has been imposed in the area, while checkpoints and barricades have been set up by security authorities throughout the province.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said the broad daylight murder of Degamo was an act of political terrorism designed to sow fear.

Zubiri, along with the other Senators Pia Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, and JV Ejercito went to Degamo’s wake, where his family asked them for justice.

He said the brains behind the killing should immediately be put behind bars so that the entire province of Negros Oriental would be safe.

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