Abalos orders hunt for Governor Degamo’s killers

Roel Degamo, Negros Oriental governor| file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. has directed the Philippine National Police to go after and identify the killers of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

“Nagbigay na ako ng direktiba sa PNP na magsagawa ng hot pursuit operations para agad na mahuli ang mga suspek na responsable sa krimeng ito,” Abalos said in a statement.

“Nakadeploy na ang mga puwersa ng Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office pati na ang mga kapulisan sa karatig na probinsya para galugarin ang bawat sulok ng lugar para agad na madakip ang mga kriminal,” he added.

The DILG Secretary is also appealing to possible witnesses to cooperate in the ongoing police investigation.

Degamo was shot several times as he was attending to some constituents, who were outside of his residence in Barangay San Isidro in Pamplona town at past 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 3.

READ: NegOr Gov. Degamo wounded in ‘Pamplona shooting’

His wife, Janice, confirmed in a Facebook livestream that the Governor had died.

In his statement, Abalos condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the “senseless assassination” of Gov. Degamo.

Quoting reports that he has received, Abalos said that Degamo was talking to some of his constituents, who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in front of his house, when a group of individuals “clad in army and navy uniforms in full battle gear” arrived.

The still unidentified men disembarked from two SUVs and opened fire at Degamo, also hitting some civilians.

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