BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) is closely monitoring the province’s borders with Negros Oriental as part of the ongoing manhunt for the remaining suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and eight other civilians.
Police Captain Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO spokesperson, said shortly after receiving information of the attack in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on Saturday, March 4, police stations in the southern part of the province immediately established checkpoints, particularly in Barangay Culipapa, Hinoba-an.
Every motorist’s identification is checked prior to being allowed to enter the province.
NOCPPO’s Provincial Mobile Force Company also joined the manhunt by serving as a blocking force and patrolling far-flung areas bordering Negros Oriental.
“We are closely coordinating with other police and law enforcement units involved in the manhunt for the late governor’s killers,” Catalogo said.
In response to the growing number of attacks against local chief executives (LCEs) across the country, Catalogo said the NOCPPO alerted all its chiefs of police to conduct a threat assessment.
So far, Catalogo said, Negros Occidental LCEs do not see any serious threats to their security, although some acknowledged receiving threats in the past.
“We remind our local chief executives not to be complacent,” the NOCPPO spokesperson said.
He further advised LCEs to get in touch with their police chiefs and review their security assessments.
Negros Occidental’s Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson also said yesterday morning that despite Degamo’s murder, he doesn’t see the need to beef up his personal security despite offers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters itself.
“As long as you are aware of the situation and the areas you go to, I will always be guided by that,” Lacson said.
NIR TALKS
When asked if the murder of Degamo would have any implications to the reestablishment of the Negros Island Region (NIR), Lacson said he would temporarily halt talks on the proposed region.
“We lost a friend. He may have some misgivings about the NIR but I was confident that at the end of the day he would not have objected to the creation of the new region,” said Lacson.
Lacson said he would visit Degamo’s wake in Dumaguete City this week.
He would resume talks with his new Negros Oriental counterpart, Gov. Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes, after Degamo had been formally laid to rest.
Reyes formally assumed the gubernatorial post of Negros Oriental late Saturday night. Succeeding him as vice governor is 1st District’s Provincial Board member Manuel Sagarbarria./PN
