CIDG omits possibility of Degamo’s security involved in murder

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Monday dismissed the possibility that the police escorts of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo were involved in his murder after some of them failed to report for duty on the day of the attack.

During the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee hearing on the Degamo slay case, Senator JV Ejercito questioned the absence of five out of the six police security of Degamo when he was killed on March 4.

CIDG chief Police Brigadier General Romeo Caramat Jr. said they already looked into that matter and found that they had valid reasons. 

“We had an initial investigation doon sa mga bodyguards ni ex-Governor Degamo and most of them, matagal nang nagsisilbi doon kay Gov. Degamo and some of the policemen were [his] relatives. So ‘yung anggulo na may nag-traydor ay malabo ‘yun,” Caramat said.

(We had an initial investigation on the bodyguards of ex-Governor Degamo and found that most of them had been serving him for a long time and some of them were his relatives. So the angle that someone betrayed him may be impossible.)

“‘Yung absence, based doon sa provincial director ng Negros Oriental, they had their valid reason at nagpaalam naman daw sila. So tinignan namin. ‘Yung possibility na talagang if they intentionally nag-absent ay inaalis namin sa anggulo na ‘yun,” he added.

(Based on the information from the Negros Oriental provincial director, they had valid reasons. We looked into that. So, we are removing the possibility that they were intentionally absent that day.)

Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, earlier said that she believed that her husband's police security escorts had nothing to do with the murder. She refuted rumors that the police officers were given an order not to go to work.

During the same hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, asked what steps are being undertaken by law enforcement authorities to vet the security being assigned to elected officials.

She raised the inquiry in relation to allegations that there was a “mole” in the incident.

“We have no valid information up to now kung meron talagang mga mole na nag-timbre doon sa mga suspek nung pumasok sila kung saan ang location ni Degamo… Under investigation pa rin po ‘yun. We cannot discount the possibility na meron ‘yun. Tinitignan namin lahat ng anggulo,” said Caramat.

(We have no valid information up to now if there was indeed a mole who coordinated with the suspects when they entered the location where Degamo was... That is still under investigation. We cannot discount the possibility of that. We are looking at all angles.) 

Degamo and eight others were killed last month when armed men fired shots while he was distributing aid to beneficiaries at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental. —VAL, GMA Integrated News