LAST February 28, i wrote the story: “Killers on the loose again in Negros Oriental.” I said that Negros Oriental folks have been gripped with fear anew by a series of killings since the start of the year reminiscent of the deadly gun attacks in the province 2019.

I wrote the story after getting wind of several unsolved gun attacks in the province, foremost of which is the February 8 killing of a 45-year old Danish national, his Filipina wife and another woman accused of having a role in the killing of the younger brother of Valencia, Negros Oriental Mayor Edgar Teves Jr. two days earlier.

Tim Moerch, his wife Karen Kate and Maila Cagas, 40, were shot to death amid the ongoing investigation into the murder of 42-year-old Don Paulo Teves. The body of the young Teves was dumped near a dumpster in Purok 3 in Barangay Calayugan early morning of February 6. The victim was found with a bullet wound to the head.

Local policemen arrested Moerch, Cagas and a 3rd suspect identified as John Edward Remollo in the wake of the ongoing probe into the Teves murder case. However, shortly after Moerch and Cagas were ordered released for further investigation by a local prosecutor who questioned the validity of their arrest, gunmen struck again.

Moerch and his wife were riding a motorcycle when killed in Bgy. Balugo. Cagas was also shot in another place by an unidentified suspect minutes later. There is still no information on what happened to Remollo.

There are also a number of similar gun attacks which have left a number of poor locl residents dead or wounded last month. The victims include Artemio Estrebella, a 60-year-old kagawad of Bgy. Minaba in Bayawan City and his companion Ricky Maribao,45; and Patrolman Rhulin Abrasaldo of the Police Regional Office 7 Regional Mobile Group and Edwin Laag, a member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

On Saturday morning, still unidentified gunmen wearing pixelized uniforms—those being worn by Army soldiers—and armed with long firearms shot an ally of the young Marcos administration, Negros Oriental Governor Roel R. Degamo as he was entertaining his poor constituents outside his residence in Pamplona municipality. The governor has died, reports said.

Several Camp Crame officials told me that concerned Central Visayas and Negros Oriental police officers should explain the following: gross negligence, failure of intelligence, lack of crime prevention strategy, lack of care for people’s lives and lack of foresight to stop and arrest the Negros Oriental killings.

PRO7 director, Brigadier General Jerry Bearis said he has created a Regional Special Investigation Task Group to conduct a focused , thorough, swift investigation relative to the latest shooting incident which victimized Gov. Degamo and nine others.

Initially, there were six suspects wearing pixelized uniforms and armed with automatic rifles who were involved in the brazen gun attack. The suspects fled on board three getaway vehicles: one a black Mistubishi Pajero with plate no. YAP 163; a silver green Mitsubishi Pajero without license plates and a green Isuzu pick-up with plate no. GRY 162.

The getaway vehicles which obviously were fitted with fake plate numbers were found abandoned in Barangay Kasunmalig in Bayawan City with witnesses reportedly seeing at least 10 armed men fleeing the scene.

The governor was shot at his residence in Bgy. San Isidro in Sto. Nuebe, Pamplona municipality around 9:36 in the morning as he was entertaining 4Ps beneficiaries. The gunmen indiscriminately fired their weapons in the area before fleeing.

Roadblocks were established all over the area to intercept the suspects who were reported to be wearing pixelized uniforms of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Army and were in full-battle gear. This could be another ploy to mislead investigation since no real Armed Forces personnel in their right mind would allow themselves to be involved in such an assassination try while wearing their uniforms.

One top police official told me that there is a need to suspend all Permits-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence issued to licensed gunholders in the province in order for the local police to implement a total gun ban in the area.

On October 3 last year, the Commission on Elections nullified the election victory of Henry Teves in the gubernatorial race in Negros Oriental and declared Degamo, his fiercest rival as the true winner of the May 2022 election paving the way for Degamo’s return to the provincial hall.

Teves is the brother of Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves whose gun permits were revoked by the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office after he was found to have presented ‘spurious documents’ prompting him to surrender his 12 licensed firearms last January.

PNP chief, General Jun Azurin earlier described as ‘isolated but unfortunate incidents’ the recent gun attacks that victimized three public officials but said they are thoroughly following-up these cases.

The top cop said that hot pursuit operation conducted by his men against the suspects in the Kalilangan, Bukidon ambush that wounded Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. and one of his staff and killed the latter’s three policemen-escorts resulted in the killing of one of the suspects.

Last February 17, gunmen ambushed the convoy of Gov. Adiong Jr. injuring the official and his aide Ali Tabao and killing his three policemen-escorts identified as Staff Sergeant Mohammad Adiong and Corporals Johanie Sumandar and Jalil Cosain. One suspect in the ambush was killed in a shootout with pursuing policemen.

Two days later, armed men wearing Army uniform shot and killed Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda and five of his companions in Bagabag, Nueva Viscaya. The killers’ getaway: a white Mitsubishi Adventure fitted with the government plate SFN-713 was burned by the killers in Bgy. Uddiawan in nearby Solano town.

Around 9:25 p.m. on Wednesday last week, a motorcycle-riding gunman fired shots at the van bearing Datu Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur Mayor Ohto Montawal in Pasay City hitting the latter in the hip and left arm. The victim who survived the gun attack was in Manila to attend the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines held at the Manila Hotel this week.

Gen. Azurin has ordered all 17 Police Regional Directors to conduct threat assessments of all government officials in their areas of responsibility and engage them one by one to attend to their security requirements in the aftermath of the gun attacks.

He issued the instruction to ensure that appropriate security will be provided to local government officials who are receiving direct or indirect threats on their lives amid the spate of attacks on politicians since last February 17 which left nine persons dead.