Bato orders Senate security to probe clash between Degamo, Teves groups inside premises

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Thursday, May 11, directed the Senate security to investigate a near physical clash between supporters of two Negros Oriental political titans - slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and suspended Negros Oriental Congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. Dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, issued the directive to the Office of Senate Sergeant at Arms (OSAA) after being informed of the near clash at the Senator Tolentino room at 3:30 p.m. yesterday after the hours-long public hearing of the Senate committee held at the Senate session hall. The hearing was suspended at 3 p.m. He said the Senate security force should maximize its force, otherwise, the Upper House would be placed in a bad light. A lawyer of the Teves group pointed out that the Tolentino room has a CCTV which could be accessed by Senate officials. The personalities in the near clash is Pastor Jerome Nalam of the Teves group and Siaton (Negros Oriental) Mayor Fritz Diaz of the Degamo group. Diaz said he approached Nalam and told him that they were able to kill Governor Degamo but not him, despite three attempts. He stressed that he kneeled before Nalam so he could see his eyes since Nalam’s group is "the core group." Nalam said Diaz’s statement is "100 percent not true’’ and he thought there would be a clash. Although the incident is "grave," Nalam told dela Rosa: "I am safe here at the Senate." "Grabeng harassment,’’ Nalam said, adding that the action and gestures of the Degamo group was "irresponsible." When told that he has 10 bodyguards, Diaz replied: "Of course, para di kami mapatay (So that we would not be killed)." After Nalam expressed fears that something bad might take place after his group testified at the Senate on their way to Negros Oriental, dela Rosa told the PNP "to secure them." "Our leaders have been killed. We sought justice. We are glad the case is moving," Diaz said. "They hit us with character assassination through social media," he emphasized. "We don’t have a PR staff," for Manila-based networks, he explained. Dela Rosa noted that a man in brown shirt had his presence felt during the near clash. The man identified himself as Pastor Rey Laping said he tried to break up Nalam and Diaz after noticing the movement of closed fists. Dela Rosa granted Laping’s request for a closed-door session because his testimony would be explosive being a former activist. He asked the two groups not to be closed to each other. Nalam asked the Senate to direct a life-style check on Degamo’s widow, Mayor Janice Degamo and Diaz.






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