The latest killing of a local official happened uncomfortably near — Central Visayas. Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo died after being shot in the receiving area of his house in Barangay Isidro, Pamplona town, Saturday, March 4, 2023.
Before the gun attack on Degamo, at least three local government officials — one in Luzon and two in Mindanao — were attacked. With Degamo in the Visayas, that makes the violence on local officials cut across all major geographical groupings.
The three other officials are Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. on Feb. 17; Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda on Feb. 19; and Datu Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur Mayor Ohto Caumbo Montawal on Feb. 22. Of the three, Alameda was killed, a SunStar Philippines report said.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Feb. 27, that the gun attacks on local officials were not alarming because they were isolated cases. He told reporters last Feb. 27 that police were still determining the motives as these cases involved different situations. “It’s either political, personal, business rivalry, or other reason these killings are happening,” he said. “Incidentally or accidentally, it just so happened, they are in public service.”
Also, three days before the attack on Degamo, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the police are trying to resolve these attacks and may ask Congress for additional funds to recruit more police members and use technology to strengthen capabilities.
With the killing of Degamo, the PNP should go on high alert and not dismiss the spate of attacks on local officials as isolated cases. How can four attacks on local officials in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao be isolated?
Azurin should be alarmed that the killings continued despite his efforts to strengthen the fight against criminality. He cannot dismiss the fact that the victims were elected officials because this may be the reason they were targeted.
Degamo was performing his official duties when he was shot dead. He was distributing aid to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) when he was shot. Wounded in the same attack were some civilians with Degamo. “The perpetrators were in full battle gear when they shot the governor several times,” a police spokesperson said.
Degamo lost in the May 2022 elections but was eventually declared by the poll body as the winner after the votes of a nuisance candidate who used the name “Ruel Degamo” (similar to the governor’s name, Roel Degamo) were nullified in his favor last October.
The spate of violence has turned alarming in its frequency, gravity and country-wide coverage that they can no longer be considered isolated.
Azurin said no public official had contacted the police about risks to their lives but that will change soon after the attacks on a mayor, vice mayor and governors in less than a month.