ONE of the suspects in the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on Saturday was killed in an encounter with security forces in Bayawan City.
Four other suspects were arrested, a report to Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said yesterday.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. denounced the killing of Degamo and the other victims and ordered Azurin to get the killers at all cost and ensure that the “mastermind” will be put to jail.
“My government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice,” the angry President said.
Yesterday, Sen. Imee Marcos, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin T. Romualdez and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” C. Abalos Jr. flew to Dumaguete to express their condolences to the Degamo family and the other victims.
A report so Azurin said at 9 p.m. last Saturday, the unidentified suspect engaged police commandos in a shootout in Bgy. Cansumalig in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental .
The suspect died on the spot.
Three other suspects were arrested in the same area. Recovered were the suspects getaway vehicles.
Authorities said two of the arrested suspects were former Army men.
Pelare said that they are investigating the possibility that the suspects turned into guns for hire after being removed from the military force.
Meanwhile, the hot pursuit operation yesterday morning resulted in the arrest of suspect Rickyvelle Espe Liuces in Bgy. Tandayag in Amlan municipality.
Degamo and five others were killed on the spot when the suspects who were wearing military uniforms shot them without any provocation while the official was distributing assistance to 4Ps beneficiaries in his house in Bgy. San Isidro in Pamplona municipality around 9:50 a.m. Saturday.
The death toll rose to nine as of yesterday after three of the wounded victims died while undergoing treatment in a local hospital.
