On March 4, just outside Barangay 9 in Pamplona town, armed men assaulted Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Negros Oriental office.
Roel Degamo Is Dead
His beloved wife, Pamplona, Negros Oriental Mayor Janice Degamo, stated in a video message shared on the governor’s Facebook page that he was pronounced dead at 11:41 am. He was 56. Police Negros Oriental police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Kym Lopez characterized the assault as a strafing incident that occurred during a town meeting. Six suspects entered the governor’s house in Pamplona town and started shooting while armed with rifles and wearing uniforms resembling those of the armed forces.
Roel Degamo: Victim Of Political Assassination
In the lengthy history of political assassinations in the Philippines, Degamo, 56, is the most recent victim and at least the third since local elections last year. President Ferdinand Marcos denounced the “assassination” of his political friend Degamo and vowed to swiftly punish those responsibly. Last month, the Supreme Court overturned the local rival who had been pronounced the winner and ruled that Degamo was the legitimate winner of the race for governor of Negros Oriental.
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