MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will look into the reported absence of five of the six members of the late Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo’s security detail on the day he was killed.
“That is part of our investigation – the information that we received, that the members of the security detail (of Degamo) who were supposed to report on the same day of the incident did not show up for work,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo told reporters last Saturday.
“That (information) was also part of what was discussed earlier,” Fajardo added.
In a tweet last Saturday, Sen. JV Ejercito said only one of the PNP personnel assigned to Degamo was present at the time of the assassination.
Ejercito underscored the need to investigate the five for supposedly “conspiring with the mastermind.”
“This was not a mere coincidence,” the senator’s tweet read in Filipino.
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has already instructed both the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to locate and account for the security personnel.
“Remember, it is not only the PNP that provides security to Degamo. There are security details coming from the PNP and the AFP,” Fajardo said.
The special investigation task force Degamo on Saturday reported that two more firearms allegedly used in the crime were recovered last Friday in Sitio Palasanun, Barangay Cansumalig in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.
“In the continuing hot pursuit operations, the two firearms recovered were two assault rifles, magazines, bandoliers with plate and ammunition. The firearms are forwarded to SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) for appropriate forensic examination,” the task force said.
“The hot pursuit operations are still continuing with an aggressive objective of arresting all perpetrators and bring them to the bar of justice,” it added.
‘Probe disappearance of Degamo’s police escorts’
The mystery behind the sudden disappearance or failure of Degamo’s police escorts must be investigated by the House of Representatives, Speaker Martin Romualdez said yesterday.
“It’s highly suspicious why these police escorts were missing on the day he was killed,” Romualdez said, as he noted that the governor “reported to the police about the threats to his life.”
“So it stands to reason that his security detail should have implemented stricter measures to ensure his safety,” the Speaker added, as he called on the House committee on public order and safety, chaired by Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez of Laguna, to investigate the matter.
“It appears that the perpetrators were aware that Degamo has practically no protection so they could easily accomplish their mission to assassinate him,” Romualdez further said.
The inquiry will seek not only to uncover the reason for the questionable actions of the PNP’s security personnel assigned to Degamo, but also to ensure that all government officials in danger are provided adequate protection, according to the Speaker.
“We want to find out why most of his PNP security details went missing on that fateful day. We don’t want to blindly accuse anyone, but the circumstances apparently point to collusion between some members of the PNP and the perpetrators of this dastardly crime,” he said.
Romualdez noted striking parallels between the Degamo’s killing and the 2019 assassination of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, who was then running for mayor of Daraga, Albay.
Reports said that despite threats to his life, two of the three police escorts of Batocabe were pulled out days before he was fatally shot.
“If we find out in this congressional inquiry that some PNP personnel were in cahoots with the perpetrators to remove the security protection of Gov. Degamo, we will recommend the filing of appropriate criminal charges against everyone involved,” Romualdez said.
The Speaker has condemned the killing of Degamo and urged the PNP leadership to immediately act to bring the perpetrators to the bar of justice and restore peace and order in the province.
300 Army soldiers deployed
Meanwhile, about 300 Army soldiers were dispatched to 21 areas in Negros Oriental yesterday to help the police in conducting joint security checkpoints as well pursuing still at large suspects behind the Degamo assassination, according to Maj. Cenon Pancito, acting spokesman for the newly activated Special Joint Task Force Negros (SJTFN).
Pancito said a ceremonial send-off of troops from the 11th, 15th, 47th, 62nd, 79th and 94th Infantry Battalions was held Sunday in Siaton, Negros Oriental, following the activation of the SJTFN for the joint security operations in the second and third districts of Negros Oriental.
The SJTFN is composed of the Army’s 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigade, and six of its Army battalions, as well as the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) and other police units.
In a related development, 11th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo said troops have been deployed, particularly in the province’s third district, including Basay, Bayawan City, Santa Catalina, Siaton, Dauin, Zamboanguita and up to Bacong.
Aside from these areas, they are also concentrating on ports and seaports as well as airports, according to Salayo.
The PNP is also deploying additional SAF troopers to augment local police units, which will be placed under the SJTFN.
Salayo allayed fears that their additional tasking will compromise their anti-insurgency operations.
“It will be a ‘twin mission’ for us,” he said, adding that they are now giving primary efforts to solve Degamo’s assassination in compliance with the instruction of President Marcos.
While they are giving premium to Degamo’s case, Pancito said they also have available forces in the continuing conduct of internal security operations in Negros Island.
As to the deployment of a 50-man Light Reaction Company, an elite counterterrorism unit of the AFP, Pancito said they would only be utilized if there are verified targets that need their expertise.
All the four arrested suspects in the Degamo assassination used to be members of the Philippine Army, including an ex-trooper of the AFP Light Reaction Regiment.
Their arrests also yielded several high-powered firearms and anti-tank weapons. – Delon Porcalla, Gilbert Bayoran