The Department of National Defense (DND) has deployed a 50-member, specially-trained military unit to Negros Island to step-up the hunt for the remaining at-large assassins behind the killing of Governor Roel Degamo in Pamplona, Negros Oriental last March 4. 

DND Officer in Charge (OIC) Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said that no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered him to “suppress the criminal activities and impunity” in the entire island of Negros and “give justice” to the families and loved ones of Degamo as well as the kin of eight others who died in the attack.

“We have just deployed a 50-man, specially-trained strong Light Reaction Company. Kung alam niyo po ang (If you know the) Light Reaction Company, they were involved in the Battle of Marawi,” Galvez said in a press conference at the DND Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Friday, March 10.

The members of the Light Reaction Company, considered as the primary counter-terrorism unit of the AFP, that were fielded to Negros Island were serving in Cotabato prior to the assignment.

Aside from this, Galvez said Marcos also issued verbal orders to him to create a joint task force (JTF) composed of two infantry brigades and six infantry battalions to step up the joint operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) against the at-large suspects. 

AFP Chief of Staff General Andres Centino said the JTF will be composed of AFP units based in Negros Island and will be augmented by troops from other areas.

The JTF will be headed by Brig. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of 3rd Infantry Brigade, and he will be assisted by two brigade commanders who have operational control over six battalions in the island, Centino said.

“We are creating the task force to make sure that the troops belonging to these units would know kung ano ‘yung ibibigay pa nating tasking (what other tasking we will give) which is really to restore the confidence of the people in this part of Negros,” Centino explained.

Despite this, the DND and AFP assured that aside from checkpoints, there will be no other restriction of movement and imposed curfew for the general public in Negros.

Marcos’ orders to the DND and AFP came after he visited the wake of Degamo in Negros Oriental on Wednesday, March 8.

“The President has mentioned that he just saw that there was anxiety or fear among the residents,” Centino said, adding that the presence of soldiers and policemen to ensure security in the area might help calm the anxiety of the people.

This was backed by Galvez.

“The President wanted to completely eliminate the threat from the gun-for-hire. We saw that they have been existing in Negros Oriental so we need to put a stop on these killings,” he added.

PNP Chief Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. earlier said that up to 10 suspects were involved in the operation that killed Degamo and eight others.

Joint military and police units have arrested four of them, including three former Army personnel who are discharged from the service, while another suspect died in an alleged shootout in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental shortly after Degamo’s killing.

Meanwhile, Galvez could not say if a state of emergency in Negros Island should already be declared following Degamo’s killing.

“Kailangan calibrated din, hindi ‘yung tinatawag nating overkill (We need a calibrated [response] and not an overkill),” he said.