Manhunts for the remaining suspects in the March 4 killings of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others continue unabated.
In an interview on Sunday, Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo, commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Siaton town, told the Philippine News Agency that the remaining suspects are believed to be still in the province.
While four suspects have been apprehended and charged in multiple murder and failed murder cases, Salayo claims the others are still being sought in Negros Oriental.
He stated that there could be more based on information from various sources.
Another was killed the next morning during pursuit operations.
According to police and military sources, the "Pamplona massacre" shooting incident involved at least ten suspects.
More troops are being deployed
Meanwhile, thousands of troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were deployed over the weekend in various parts of the province to conduct joint security checkpoints in response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s creation of Task Force Negros.
Salayo led the departure ceremony for hundreds of composite soldiers from six Army battalions in the province, who will initially man at least 21 joint AFP-PNP checkpoints in the province's Third District.
The soldiers are from the 11th, 94th, 62nd, 47th, 79th, and 15th Infantry Brigades.
More troops will be deployed soon.
While the Degamo slaying was the primary reason for the increased security checkpoints, Salayo said they will also play an important role "side by side with their anti-insurgency campaign in the province."
Task force collaboration
During their visit to the governor's wake at the provincial capitol on Saturday, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez and AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino announced the formation of a joint task force to combat criminality and address lawlessness and violence in the province.
Brig. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, will lead it.
The joint task force, according to Salayo, comes at an appropriate time, as there has already been a reported drop in the province's tourism industry following the March 4 attack at the late governor's residential compound.
In addition, 17 people were injured in the incident.
Maj. Cenon Pancito III, the task force's designated spokesperson and civil-military operations chief, also assured that the campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army would not be jeopardized by the increased operations to apprehend the mastermind and other suspects.
