PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. on Monday assured the country that the ‘brains’ behind the brazen killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel R. Degamo and eight others last Saturday will be unmasked, jailed and prosecuted based on evidence they will gather in the course of their ongoing investigation.

“Definitely this thing must stop at kahit sino pa siya, as long as the evidence is there, we will pursue the case until the end. Yan and stance ng liderato ng PNP, even the Marcos government and no less than the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government,” the top cop told the Journal Group in a press conference.

“I’m giving the assurance to all Filipinos that the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines will do everything to put a stop to the mastermind behind these killings. Kaya panawagan namin sa lahat eh magtulong-tulong tayo. I continue to make an appeal sa mga kababayan natin lalo sa Negros Oriental na tulungan kami sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng tamang information,” Gen. Azurin said.

PTCFORs TO BE SUSPENDED IN NEGROS ORIENTAL TOO

Gen. Azurin said that they are set to suspend all Permit-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence (PTCFORs) issued to licensed gunholders in Negros Oriental in the wake of a series of gun-related violence in the province.

“We’re also planning to suspend all PTCFORs in Negros Oriental and conduct more checkpoints to arrest the presence of loose firearms and ensure that these senseless killings will be stopped. I’m also sending additional Special Action Force troopers in the province to help keep peace and order,” the PNP chief said.

Gen. Azurin said he will be waiting for the official recommendation of Area Police Command-Visayas commander, Lieutenant Gen. Patrick T. Villacorte before issuing the order to suspend PTCFORs in the province.

He earlier ordered the temporary suspension of PTCFORs in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and the Special Geographic Area in North Cotabato on February 18 following the spate of killings in the province topped by the ambush on the convoy of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. in Maguing, Lanao del Sur.

Gov. Adiong and one of his staff were wounded in the attack while four of his security escorts were killed on the spot.

Gen. Azurin said that so far, they have not received reports on gun-related incidents or killings in those Mindanao areas where the PTCFORs have been suspended. He also bared that there were also cases in which licensed firearms have been linked to shooting incidents in the past.

GROSS NEGLIGENCE, FAILURE OF INTELLIGENCE SEEN

Gen. Azurin said they are looking into the possible gross negligence and failure of intelligence on the part of the local police which allowed the killers to strike right inside the house of the fallen governor.

“That’s what we are looking. The local police should have developed the necessary assets that will give critical information on anything that would affect peace and security in the area,” he said.

The PNP chief disclosed that the continuing investigation into the death of nine persons in Negros Oriental including Gov. Degamo has uncovered promising leads from evidence and testimonies that will establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the identification of key players in this multiple murder case.

According to the top cop, the four suspects arrested on Saturday afternoon, barely six hours after the shooting have expressed willingness to cooperate in the investigation and a public attorney from the Department of Justice is assisting the suspects in preparing their sworn statements and other legal documents.

“And true enough, these arrested suspects, provided information that led to the recovery of the large cache of assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades, handguns, ammunition, and body armor vests, all believed to have been used in the attack on Governor Degamo’s residence in Municipality of Pamplona,” Gen. Azurin said.

The official said that the Central Visayas Regional Forensic Group is now conducting forensic examination on these recovered weapons and equipment as well as the three getaway vehicles earlier found abandoned in Barangay Cansumalig, Bayawan City.

“ It was in this same barangay, that the three suspects were arrested on Saturday afternoon, and from where the stockpile of weapons were recovered on Saturday evening, following an armed encounter with an unidentified suspect who died in the engagement with a composite PNP and AFP tracker teams,” he said.

Gen. Azurin pointed out that “these significant developments in this case are classic textbook examples of swift and decisive action by the DILG, PNP leadership, Regional Special Investigation Task Group of PRO7 and the AFP that is moving us closer to finding the participants and mastermind to this multiple murder case.”

He said that pending the results of laboratory examinations including ballistics test on the firearms and paraffin tests on the arrested persons as well as their further revelations, “we believe that we now have the strong evidence to establish an airtight cases.”

On Sunday, the suspects were charged with violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act of 2013 and RA 9516 or illegal possession of explosives.

They are also scheduled to be charged with multiple murder and frustrated murder on Monday.

“ Tracker teams continue to scour the hinterlands of Bayawan City all the way to the borders of adjacent jurisdictions with the help of police and military maneuver units stationed in the province which resulted in the arrest of the fourth suspect. Joint PNP- AFP checkpoints are continuously being done all over the province to limit the movements of the remaining suspects and other criminal elements,” Gen. Azurin said.