BY WENDELL VIGILIA and VICTOR REYES
SPEAKER Martin Romualdez yesterday ordered the House committee on public order and safety to look into what he called the “suspicious” disappearance of five of the six police escorts of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on the day that he was assassinated.
The Speaker cited news reports that the five did not show up for duty on March 4, 2023, when a group of fully armed gunmen, including discharged Army soldiers, attacked the governor’s house in Pamplona, Negros and killed him, along with eight other individuals, mostly civilians.
Four of the suspects, all former soldiers, were arrested in succeeding operations in Bayawan City while another died after he fought it out with pursuing troops.
“Gov. 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 why these police escorts were missing on the day he was killed,” Romualdez said.
The public order panel chaired by Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez last week held a motu proprio hearing on Degamo’s assassination, where lawmakers, who fear for their own safety, asked the PNP for additional security detail.
Romualdez said it appears that the perpetrators were aware that Degamo “has practically no protection so they could easily accomplish their mission to assassinate him.”
The Speaker said the congressional inquiry would seek not only to uncover the reason for the questionable actions of the PNP security personnel assigned to the governor “but also to ensure that all government officials in danger are provided adequate protection.”
“We want to find out why most of Gov. Degamo’s PNP security details went missing on that fateful day. 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,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez pointed out that there are “striking parallels” between the incident and the 2019 assassination of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, who was then running for mayor of Daraga, Albay.
Reports said that despite threats to his life, two of the three police escorts of Batocabe 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 Gov. Degamo, we will recommend the filing of appropriate criminal charges against everyone involved,” Romualdez warned.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said the matter is already a subject of the police’s investigation.
“That is among those we are investigating, information that those providing security to Gov. Degamo during the day did not report on duty,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has ordered the PNP and the AFP “to locate and account for the security personnel assigned to Gov. Degamo during the incident.”
SPECIAL TASK FORCE
Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez said President Marcos Jr. has ordered the creation of a special task force to lead government efforts to stop lawless violence in Negros Oriental following the killing of Degamo.
Galvez said Abalos has been designated as the chairman of the Special Joint Task Force (SJTF) Negros, while he and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla will be the vice chairmen and the chiefs of the Armed Forces, PNP and NBI will serve as commanders of different task forces under the special body.
“Under the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we have organized a joint task force to step up the joint law enforcement operations of the AFP and PNP in Negros to implement the clear directive of the President to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” Galvez said.
“The joint AFP-PNP law enforcement operations, under the supervision of the inter-agency task force headed by the secretary of DILG, myself, and Secretary Remulla, aim to speed up the suppression of impunity in the entire island, and give justice to the families and loved ones of those who were slain the in the attack against Governor Degamo,” said Galvez.
Galvez and AFP chief Gen. Andres Centino visited the wake of Degamo and met with the governor’s wife, Pamplona mayor Janice Degamo, on Saturday.
The PNP said the Abalos task force was created to “harmonize all efforts” of different government agencies in addressing the March 4 killings.
Fajardo said the PNP and the AFP will be focused on hot pursuit operations against the remaining at-large suspects, including the establishment of roadblocks and checkpoints.
“On the part of the AFP, they are augmenting the PNP forces in Negros Oriental to make sure that all possible exit points in Negros Oriental are monitored,” she said.
There are still six to seven suspects in the March 4 killings, including the alleged mastermind, who remain at large. One of the suspects under police custody has fingered Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. as the one who ordered the killing of Degamo.
Fajardo said the NBI will be focused on filing of cases arising from the “material information” provided by the four arrested suspects who are helping authorities in going after the alleged mastermind.
“With the pieces of evidence at hand, the (SJTF) believes that we are nearing the solution of these cases. We are just fine-tuning and finalizing some of the evidence,” she said.
Asked if the PNP’s Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Degamo will be dissolved, Fajardo replied in the negative and said the body will now focus on “collating additional evidence and testimonies.”
Galvez reiterated the government’s assurance of swift justice for the victims. Also, he again vowed that peace will be restored in the province of Negros Oriental.
“The President is very firm in his guidance to solve the case as swiftly as possible, and bring these lawless elements to justice,” Galvez said.
Noting President Marcos’ instruction to dismantle “tentacles of violence” in the province, Galvez said: “With that said, there is always time for reckoning and this day is that time.”
He urged the public to provide information that will hasten the attainment of the missions.
“This task force has a unified command center for more accessibility to the civilians. Rest assured that all the information gathered will be used to get the justice everyone deserves,” said Galvez.
Centino assured the public that the military will sustain efforts to suppress all forms of lawless violence and to immediately restore peace and order in the province.
“The AFP is one with the Filipino people who desire to ensure that justice will prevail, peace and order will be restored so that we can protectively secure the communities within this area,” said Centino.
The AFP Visayas Command (Viscom) said the SJTF Negros will not only focus on the recent killing of Degamo and eight others but previous unresolved killings in Negros Island.
On Friday, Galvez announced the establishment of a military joint task force, composed of two Army brigades and an elite Light Reaction Company. The military said the unit is meant to “to suppress the criminal activities and impunity in the entire island of Negros.”
“Additional troops were deployed to work with the PNP in suppressing lawlessness and criminality, and restore normalcy in Negros,” said Viscom commander Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo.
Soldiers are conducting checkpoint operations and security patrols to ensure the safety of the family of the victims, build confidence of witnesses in previous killings and enforce the “full might of the law.”
“Our troops are highly motivated to perform these tasks as directed by our Commander-In-Chief. Rest assured that justice will be served swiftly, and that peace and order will be restored for all our people in the island,” said Arevalo.
