Degamo widow renews plea for justice on third anniversary of husband's murder
GOV. Degamo
BACOLOD CITY – Negros Oriental third district Rep. Janice Degamo marked the third death anniversary of her husband, Gov. Roel Degamo, on Wednesday by reiterating her demand for justice.
“We thank the national government for their efforts in bringing the mastermind in killing my husband, back to the country. More than putting them in jail, we are for three years waiting for justice to be served,” the lawmaker said in a message after a Mass commemorating his death anniversary in their residence in Siaton.
She is hoping to hear the same verdict given to the perpetrators behind the Maguindanao massacre. “We long to hear the same verdict. Sana maipanalo rin natin ito,” she said.
Rep. Degamo said they will continue to call for justice amid the different reactions of people about the situation because they are duty bound to find justice for the dead.
“Sometimes we have to utter words, the community needs to hear,” she said.
She said this is not just a fight for her husband but also for nine others who were murdered with him.
“Looking forward to a day when we all join together as a community,” she said, stressing that the province is worth fighting for.
She urged the people of Negros Oriental to be careful in their decisions and to be vigilant to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
In a Facebook post, Rep. Degamo remembered her husband as a man of unwavering principles, a man of the people, and a simple and honest public servant who always went above and beyond to help those in need.
“I will forever remember him as a true man of the people. Not because of the titles he held, but because of the lives he touched,” she said, adding that his legacy lives on.
She vowed to continue the fight for a better Negros Oriental because of him.
“Because I know that is what he would have done. Because his dream of a province free from fear, violence, and corruption must live on,” she said.
She thanked people who gathered and joined them to commemorate her husband’s death.
Gov. Degamo and nine others were killed in a gun attack in his residence in Pamplona on March 4, 2023.
Former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. was tagged as mastermind. Teves has denied the allegations.
Teves was brought back to the country by the government from Timor-Leste in May 2025.