SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Saturday said the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo is a direct challenge to the authorities.

Romualdez said the Philippine National Police (PNP) led by chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. should act with dispatch to restore law and order before the people totally lose their trust and confidence in them.

“This act of violence is reprehensible. This is a direct challenge to the authorities,” Romualdez said.

“Kailan lang, siniguro sa akin ng PNP Chief sa meeting namin na gagawin nila ang lahat para matigil ang mga patayan na nangyayari sa ating bansa. I hold him to his word. Tulad ng mga kababayan natin, ayaw kong mawalan ng tiwala sa ating kapulisan,” he said.

“I expect the National Police to act with dispatch in arresting those responsible for this dastardly act. Stop lawlessness in the land and restore peace and order in our communities. That is your sworn duty,” the Speaker said.

“Hindi na puwede ang puro pangako. Kailangan natin ng agarang aksyon,” Romualdez added.

Gov. Degamo killed in ambush

Still unidentified gunmen posing as military men early morning Saturday shot and killed Governor Degamo, a known ally of the young Marcos’ administration, as he was entertaining his poor constituents outside his residence in Pamplona municipality.

Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the governor’s wife, confirmed in her Facebook live that her husband died around 11:41 a.m.

Mayor Degamo also said five other individuals died, including the governor’s staff who were helping him attend to the people that morning.

“Negros Oriental loses its governor. Governor Roel was pronounced dead at 11:41 a.m. Among panawagan sa national government, Governor Degamo did not deserve that kind of death. He was serving his constituents on a Saturday along with his department heads. There were five others who died with him who were there to ask for help. Among mga panghinaon isip kabanay ni Gov. Roel patinnunhod gid kud kita sa national government ng pagpangita, pagpapaningil sa hustisya sa akong bana,” the mayor and wife of Degamo said.

Siaton town Mayor Fritz Dias confirmed the governor’s death hours after he was attacked inside his house in Barangay San Isidro in Sto. Nuwebe municipality, where he was distributing assistance to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

The governor suffered multiple gunshot wounds in different parts of his body after being fired upon by the suspects, who were wearing pixelized uniforms usually being worn by Army and Navy soldiers. The gunmen were also seen wearing bullet-proof vests.

There were still no other reports on the condition of the other victims who were rushed to the hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

The killers fled on board a black Mitsubishi Montero with plate No. YAP 163, a silver green Mitsubishi Pajero without license plates and a green Isuzu pickup with plate No. GRY 162.

The getaway vehicles were found abandoned in Bgy. Kansumalig in Bayawan City, where at least 10 suspects were seen fleeing the scene, according to Lieutenant Colonel Maria Aurora Rayos, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 spokesperson.

“The Police Regional Office 7 was already directed to immediately conduct a hot pursuit operation to arrest the perpetrators and the mastermind of this treacherous attack. All available resources of the PNP will be used to arrests those who are involved in this incident. The PNP will not stop until these suspects are arrested,” said the official.

“Further, we encourage those who witnessed the incident to give their testimonies and cooperate with the authorities for the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. We also appeal to the public to report any information that may lead to the identification and arrest of the suspects,” said PNP chief General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.

The killing of Degamo came amid a Journal Group report that Negros Oriental folks have been gripped with fear anew by a series of killings in the province, reminiscent of the deadly gun attacks in the province in 2019.

In a statement, the PNP said it received a report regarding an alleged shooting incident which victimized the governor at his residence around 9:36 in the morning.

“Gov. Degamo was entertaining 4Ps beneficiaries at the entrance of his residence when suddenly a group of persons wearing pixelized uniform and in full battle gear shot the Governor several times hitting the latter and some civilians. The victims were immediately rushed to the nearest hospital,” PNP Public Information Office chief Colonel Redrico A. Maranan said.

Colonel Reynaldo L. Lizardo, Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office director, rushed to the scene to supervise the conduct of hot pursuit operations and the investigation.

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.

Witnesses said the gunmen suddenly shot the governor several times after arriving in the area hitting the official and some civilians.

One top police official who requested anonymity said one civilian was killed in the shooting which came in the wake of suggestions that all Permits-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence issued to licensed gun holders in the province be suspended also and for the police to implement a total gun ban in the area.

Brigadier General Jerry F. Bearis, PRO-7 director, was on his way to the area to personally supervise the investigation as the PNP hoped for the safety of the governor and the other victims.

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 Rep. 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.

Gun attacks on public officials

Azurin earlier described as “isolated but unfortunate incidents” the recent gun attacks that victimized three public officials, but said the police is thoroughly following up these cases.

The top cop said 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 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 was a white Mitsubishi Adventure fitted with the government plate SFN 713 that 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.

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.

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 February 17 which left nine persons dead.

“We want to know if these government officials have perceived enemies in their areas, who are either active or lying low, so that we can inform them if they need to beef up their security,” Azurin said.

At present, elected officials are allowed to have a maximum of two authorized bodyguards from the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG), who may secure them in any part of the country.

However, Azurin said local police territorial units must also provide uniformed security to public officials since it would be their responsibility too in case something bad happens to the officials in their jurisdiction.

More than two PSPG security personnel and others from private security agencies may also be allowed to secure a public official whose life is in real danger.

Those attacks prompted Azurin to call on politicians to report threats to their lives. “Our appeal to our political leaders is, if they sense threats, they should not keep it to themselves,” he said.

The PNP chief said reporting is necessary so that police can validate the threat and thwart it by all means.

The Journal Group this week reported that many of the incidents in Negros Oriental wherein the victims were shot inside their homes in the wee hours of the day have yet to be solved by the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.

Since January, the office has been very busy putting up different special investigation task groups to look into the killings and see if they were driven by any of the following motives: politics, business rivalry, old grudge or perpetrated by the communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA).

Top PNP officials said they are assessing the results of the local police force’s ongoing campaign against loose firearms, partisan armed groups and organized crime gangs, the NPA and guns-for-hire operating in Negros Oriental.

In July 2019, Negros Oriental became the scene of a string of shooting incidents that killed 17 civilians and four policemen, prompting then President Rodrigo Duterte to order a massive anti-criminality crackdown in the province.

Bearis has taken notice of the spate of gun attacks in Negros Oriental and has ordered strengthened crime prevention and police operations in the province.

Last February 8, still unidentified gunmen killed 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 Bgy. Calayugan early morning of February 6. The victim was found with a bullet wound to the head.

Local policemen arrested Moerch, Cagas and a third 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.

On February 19, a shooting incident along Peping Gamo Street in Bgy. Tinago, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, killed Patrolman Rhulin Abrasaldo of the PRO-7 Regional Mobile Group and Edwin Laag, a member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the city. A civilian identified as Winchita Jamin was also wounded in the attack which took place at the height of a fiesta celebration in the area. By RYAN PONCE PACPACO, ALFRED DALIZON & ZAIDA DELOS REYES