Degamo slay task group created, resolution of case nearing –PNP

The Philippine National Police on Saturday announced the creation of a special task force (STF) to pursue the remaining suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, saying that the resolution of the case is near.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said that “STF Degamo” on Saturday afternoon held a meeting — together with representatives from the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) — to discuss the progress of the investigation.

The PNP said DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos has been designated as chairperson, with Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, and Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as co-vice chairpersons.

PNP chief Police General Rodolfo Azurin Jr., AFP chief General Andres Centino, and NBI Director Medardo de Lemos have also been designated as task force commanders.

Further, Fajardo said the PNP and AFP were conducting pursuit operations to capture that remaining suspects, and the NBI was arranging the legal documents with respect to the revelations of the four arrested suspects.

“The creation ng STF Degamo is to really harmonize and to make sure iisa lang direction ng law enforcement agencies so that ang intention natin sabi ng ating Presidente ay gusto niya ay whole of government approach dito po sa kaso na ito to make sure we can immediately the soonest possible time ay maresolba itong kaso na ito,” Fajardo said at a press briefing.

Galvez on Friday said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had ordered the creation of a joint task force composed of two brigades and six battalions to step up to the joint AFP-PNP operations.

Fajardo said the task force believes that they are “nearing to the solution of the case” with the pieces of evidence gathered.

“With the pieces of evidence at hand po, naniniwala ang STF that we are nearing to the solution of this case we are just finalizing some of the evidence at hand kasama na po yung mga material revelation at pieces of evidence including po  mga forensic evidence collected by the forensic group of PNP. The STF is really confident that in the coming days we can unmask already the people behind these heinous crimes,” Fajardo said.

“Yung mga suspect na nagbigay ng material information regarding sa iba pa po na we are still accounting for more or less six to seven persons kasama yung five pa na actually participated doon sa nangyari pamamaril kay governor Degamo at ilang biktima including yung possible masterminds sa kaso na ito,” she added.

Fajardo said the joint task force believes that the remaining suspects are still in Negros Oriental, adding that nearby provinces have placed random checkpoints. 

The PNP spokesperson said the arrested suspects under the custody of the NBI were providing substantial information that may help identify the other suspects and the alleged mastermind.

The original owner, seller, and buyer of the vehicles used in the killing of the governor were also under investigation, Fajardo said.

“Hindi lang po nakatutok ngayon at nagre-rely sa testimonial evidence na ishinare ng apat ng suspek but we are really focusing more dito sa forensic evidence na nakalap ng SITG,” she added.

Degamo was talking to beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on the morning of Saturday, March 4, when armed men barged in and fired shots.

The governor and five others were killed. The death toll rose to nine the day after the attack. Thirteen others were seriously injured while four were treated as outpatients.

Three suspects were arrested during a hot pursuit operation in Bayawan City on March 4. One other suspect died in an encounter with authorities in the province, police said.

Of the three arrested suspects, two were former members of the Philippine Army.

Raid on Teves properties

Two suspects in the killing of Degamo named a certain “Cong Teves” as the person behind the fatal attack against the local official.

Police on Friday raided houses belonging to Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. in the province in search of loose firearms.

The search resulted in the confiscation and recovery of three hand grenades, 10 short firearms, six rifles, 465 assorted live rounds of ammunition, 194 assorted empty shells, and 22 assorted magazines.

“The Teveses were not around during the implementation of the search warrants. However, all arrested persons and confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to CIDG Negros Provincial Field Unit for proper disposition,” the PNP said in a statement. 

Asked if the operation was connected with Degamo’s killing, Abalos said on Friday that there were statements about illegal firearms during the investigation into the murder complaints recently filed against Teves for killings committed in 2019.

Teves has denied that he and his brother Henry were involved in the killing of Degamo amid allegations that the incident was politically motivated.

The Teveses are political rivals of the Degamo family. —LBG/VBL, GMA Integrated News

Degamo slay task group created, resolution of case nearing –PNP
Source: Filipino Viral News PH