Secretary of National Defense (DND)\ Carlito Galvez Jr. has urged the public to share any information they know about the March 4 killings of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others with authorities.
In a statement issued Saturday night, Galvez promised that the government would use all of the information gathered "to get the justice everyone deserves."
He stated that the joint special task force, comprised of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), has a unified command center to allow civilians greater access.
Galvez also assured the special task force of the AFP's continued support, in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s verbal orders to suppress lawless violence in Negros Oriental.
Galvez will oversee the task force alongside AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino and PNP Officer-in-Charge Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia.
Medardo de Lemos, the director of the National Bureau of Investigation, has also been named task force commander.
Meanwhile, Ermonia reaffirmed the PNP's cooperation with other agencies as well as their ongoing investigations into the shooting of Degamo and eight others.
On Saturday, Galvez and Centino traveled to Negros Oriental to attend Degamo's wake at the provincial capitol in Dumaguete City and meet with Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, the late governor's wife.
They also went to Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, to see the 302nd Infantry Brigade, led by Brig. Gen. Leonardo Pea, and the newly deployed Light Reaction Company.
The unit will be assigned to the newly formed task force.

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