Degamo’s kin claim politics behind brutal killing

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos along with House Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez condole with Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the widow of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. (Benhur Abalos FB photo)
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos along with House Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez condole with Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the widow of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. (Benhur Abalos FB photo)

THE family of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo strongly believed that politics was behind his assassination while he was meeting with his constituents in front of his house in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, wife of the governor, said in a media interview on Sunday, March 5, that they have been actually security conscious after he won the electoral protest and was proclaimed the real winner in the recent election in September 2022.

"Even when he was in Manila for his proclamation, there were concerned residents of the province giving him advice to be extra careful, but he never took it seriously," the mayor said.

Degamo garnered a total of 277,462 votes, while Ruel Degamo, who was later named a nuisance candidate, got 49,039 in the last elections.

When the numbers were added up, they were sufficient for Roel Degamo to defeat Pryde Henry Teves, who garnered 296,897 votes.

Teves, who served as governor of Negros Oriental for almost four months, stepped down from his post on October 11, paving the way for Governor Degamo to assume his post.

Mayor Degamo said their house is very near a military detachment, which is why the attack was very unexpected, although she revealed that in the past few weeks, they noticed suspicious individuals in the area.

Degamo's wife said her husband deserves to be given justice not only because he is a governor but because of his extraordinary service to the people.

She also revealed that Degamo has been doing the "pulong-pulong" every weekend in their house because it's the only time he can personally listen and address the concerns of the people because on regular working days, he would attend important invitations and activities from one local government unit to another.

Degamo's wife said that based on the closed-circuit television, the assassination of the governor was well organized and well planned.

"Generally, if you look at Negros Oriental, this is a peaceful place, but there are officials who would like to sow violence. Someone is sowing terror and is behind the massacre. I cannot think of someone else who is so powerful and so rich except our political rival. I hope the culprit will be named by the suspects and will be put behind bars so that Negros Oriental will be peaceful again," Mayor Degamo said.

She is also asking for the declaration of a state of emergency in Negros Oriental, even for just two days, so authorities can arrest all the suspects, especially the mastermind.

Degamo succumbed to several gunshot wounds in the attack carried out by the suspects wearing pixelized uniforms and in full battle gear.

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