Degamos linked to shooting at home of ex-governor's staff

A former staff of slain Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo has pointed to the family of the late official as behind the attack at their home in Dumaguete City on April 21.

“Pinagbabaril yung bahay namin (They fired shots at my house),” Rhilrose Antoinette Torres said on Tuesday's hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

The Negros police said it is investigating the incident.

Committee chairperson Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa asked her who was behind the attack. Torres said, “Mga Degamo po kasi (The Degamos because) Teveses and Degamos are both warlords.”

“Kasi alam ko lahat, marami po akong nalalaman na mga baho nila. Alam na alam ko po (Because I know everything, a lot of their secrets),” she said.

Torres also said that the Degamos have unexplained wealth.

“Sinasabi nila na ang mga Teves ay maraming unexplained wealth kasi galing sa gambling. Yung mga Degamo din, marami din silang unexplained wealth nang dahil sa kaban ng kapitolyo,”

(They were saying that the Teveses have so a lot unexplained wealth from gambling. But the Degamos too, they have a lot of unexplained wealth from the coffers of the provincial capitol.)

Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the governor's widow, said she called the police to patrol the area after learning about the attack on Torres’ house.  She surmised the Degamos might be blamed for the incident.

“I called [Negros Oriental Police chief Police Colonel Alex Recinto] to guard their house baka kasi biglang ako na naman dahil wala na si Roel,” she said.

(I called Negros Oriental Police chief Police Colonel Alex Recinto to guard their house because they might blame me for this because Roel is no longer around.)

In an ambush interview, the mayor denied that her family was behind the attack on Torres’ home.  She added she is willing to face any investigation on the unexplained wealth allegations.

“Una, yung unexplained wealth we have to go through the necessary investigation and we are open to any form of investigation. Second, yung strafing, that's far from me. that's not me. Otherwise, hindi ako pupunta dito sa Senado at magbarilan na lang tayo doon sa Negros," she said.—LDF, GMA Integrated News