Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo has won the race in the Third Legislative District of Negros Oriental.
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) proclaimed her winner on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
Earlier in April 2025, Degamo faced a disqualification complaint questioning her residency in Siaton. Public circulation of her being disqualified was later clarified “fake” by the Comelec on May 11, 2025.
Degamo, wife of Governor Roel Degamo who was killed in a massacre at their Pamplona home in March 2023, got 107,436 votes, leading consistently over Janice Teves who got 55,731 votes. Teves is the aunt of former congressman Arnolfo Teves, Jr., the alleged mastermind in Roel’s killing, who was expelled by the House of Representatives in 2023.
Teves is detained in Timor-Leste where he sought asylum, a move that is being opposed by the Philippine government.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed dismay over Timor-Leste’s refusal to extradite Teves back to the Philippines for the second time. Following this, the DFA canceled Teves’ passport revoking his citizenship status.
As of this writing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to fight for his extradition to the Philippines.
PLANS
In an interview with GMA Integrated News, Degamo emphasized crime prevention as a centerpiece of her service for the Third District once she is proclaimed winner.
“I think even the victory is a [shoutout] to the entire province and the country... the people in the Third District do not approve of violence, do not like killings, and are really looking to live in peace—a stable peace in the province and in the district,” she said.
Degamo plans to turn the Third District into a “smart city,” and implement an “anonymous reporting system” and “reward system” for the foreman and responders to crimes.
To an extent, the 2025 midterm elections marks the end of dominance by the Teveses in the Third District that the family held with a firm grip for over 30 years.
The Teves family has governed Negros Oriental's Third District since 1987: Margarito Teves from 1987 to 1998; his father Herminio Teves from 1998 to 2007; Herminio’s grandson, Pryde Henry Teves from 2007 to 2016; and Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves, Jr. from 2016 to 2023 serving consecutive terms in Congress.
Degamo’s foray into the candidacy for the 3rd District came after the brutal shooting that killed her husband and nine others on March 4, 2023. While the victims were distributing aid, four men in combat uniform entered Degamo’s compound brazenly in broad daylight and openly fired at them.
In the aftermath of the attack, authorities recovered getaway vehicles used allegedly by the gunmen, some of which were traced back to individuals linked to then suspended congressman Arnie Teves.
Law enforcement agencies also conducted coordinated raids on multiple Teves-owned properties. During a search operation at a sugar mill compound in Bayawan City on March 27, 2023, operatives recovered an arsenal that included firearms, grenades, and various documents. Based on the evidence seized, investigators identified Arnie Teves formally as a person of interest and linked him to the incident.
(Report by #Eleksyon2025 special coverage Digital Action Center student volunteers Dianne Antonette Grafe, Ryan Rikaz Ibrahim, Jurielle Cornelia, Karissa Marie Barote, Paul Pahalinga, and Zschaielle Ainsh Tiglao of Silliman University)
