DND: Joint task force to suppress criminality in Negros Oriental

The Philippine military and other agencies have joined forces to achieve justice and suppress impunity and criminality in Negros Oriental after the killing of Governor Roel Degamo last March 4.

According to Chino Gaston's report on "24 Oras Weekend," President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Task Force Negros agreed that the Department of Justice (DOJ), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and other agencies would join forces to achieve justice in the incident.

Thus, two Army brigades and the military's anti-terrorism unit were deployed to Negros Oriental.

“Napagkasunduan po natin yung tinatatawag nating the power of the President to call out to the military to suppress yung impunity and criminality dito sa Negros,” said Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Carlito Galvez during his visit to Governor Degamo’s wake.

(We have agreed on what we call the power of the President to call out to the military to suppress impunity and criminality here in Negros.)

Likewise, PNP-Region 7 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Gerard Ace Pelare said that the deployment of the military units was a well-assessed security measure that was an appropriate response to the prevailing circumstance.

"Rest assured, po, these are done to maintain peace and security, and, of course, to solve the recent crime here in Negros Oriental," added Pelare.

Meanwhile, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, believed that peace would be restored when her husband's killers were brought to justice.

"I'm asking the culprit, I'm asking the mastermind, and putting them behind bars will bring peace once again to this once peaceful province of ours. Magiging mapayapa muli ang Negros Oriental,” said Mayor Degamo.

(I'm asking the culprit, I'm asking the mastermind, and putting them behind bars will bring peace once again to this once peaceful province of ours. Negros Oriental will be peaceful again.)

Meanwhile, a gun ban has been imposed, and checkpoints and barricades have been set up throughout the province. The local government assured residents they had nothing to worry about because this was simply a precaution to improve security.

Last Saturday, Degamo was talking to beneficiaries of the government's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, when armed men barged in and fired shots.

The death toll went up to nine the following day, while thirteen others were seriously injured while four were treated as outpatients.

Three suspects were arrested during a hot pursuit operation in Bayawan City on March 4. One other suspect died in an encounter with authorities in the province, police said. Of the three arrested suspects, two were former members of the Philippine Army.

Earlier today, four to five more suspects who were alleged to have directly participated in the shooting are still the subject of a manhunt, according to Police Regional Office 7 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare.

"The actual participants, 'yung sumali talaga sa shooting incident, nasa four to five na lang ang hinahanap. But may mga other suspects po who participated by inducement, 'yung mga facilitators at mastermind and some other suspects po," he said.

(Of the actual participants, those who really participated in the shooting incident, only four or five more [suspects] are being hunted. But there are other suspects who participated by inducement — the facilitators and mastermind and some other suspects.) — Sherylin Untalan/DVM, GMA Integrated News