BACOLOD CITY – A suspect in the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo was killed in an encounter with the police and military in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental on Saturday night, March 4.
DEGAMO (right). (FB)
Nine persons have been killed, including the governor and two barangay officials, while 17 others were wounded in the broad daylight attack in the governor’s home in Pamplona, Negros Oriental while he was distributing aid on Saturday morning.
Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas, in a media interview on Sunday, March 5, said that a composite team was able to locate the suspect who was hiding in a plantation in Bayawan City.
Authorities, however, have yet to identify the suspect.
The suspect fired at approaching operatives, prompting them to retaliate and killed the suspect, Pelare said.
Pelare said that information about the suspect was acquired from the custodial debriefing of three other suspects, including two former soldiers, who were arrested hours after the incident on Saturday afternoon in Bayawan City, following the discovery of three getaway vehicles in the city.
After the shootout, authorities searched for the suspect’s firearm and there are other pieces of evidence that are being considered to locate the remaining suspects, Pelare said.
Early on Sunday, Pelare said that authorities recovered four assault rifles and other equipment used in the shooting – five assault rifles (5.56mm), a B40 (rocket-propelled grenade launcher) with five ammunition, four bandoliers fully loaded with plates, one rifle case, two combat uniforms, a grey sweatshirt, and three pairs of combat boots.
Three other suspects were arrested hours after the assault. They were identified as Joric Labrador, 50, married, of Cagayan de Oro City; Joven Aber, 42, married, of Barangay Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental; and Benjie Rodriguez, 45, married, a resident of Bonifacio, Misamis Occidental.
All three are former Army soldiers who were dishonorably discharged due to alleged involvement in illegal drugs and for being absent without official leave.
All three held the rank of corporal, with one of them a former Scout Ranger, who is supposedly trained in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, raids, ambushes, close-quarters combat, urban warfare, and sabotage.
Pelare said that the three suspects are making good revelations that can help authorities with the pursuit operations. He added that they are preparing the appropriate charges against the suspects while pursuit operation against the remaining suspects is ongoing.
He said there is definite motive yet and angles are being probed.
A command conference was held at the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office headquarters on Sunday morning in Dumaguete City with National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino, and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., among others.