Negros Oriental vice governor assumes governor post after Degamo killing

Negros Oriental Vice Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes has been sworn into office on Saturday as the province's new governor following the killing of Governor Roel Degamo earlier in the day.

Reyes took his oath of office before Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos.

"Ngayong gabi, nanumpa sa tungkulin si Negros Oriental Vice Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes bilang Governor ng probinsya," Abalos said in a post on Facebook, posting photos of the oath taking.

(Tonight, Negros Oriental Vice Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes took his oath of office as Governor of the province.)

"Madiing kinokendena ng administrasyon ang karumaldumal na pagpaslang kay Former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo at sa iba pang mga biktima ng karahasang naganap kanina," the secretary added.

(The administration strongly condemns the heinous killing of Former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and other victims in the violence that occurred earlier today.)

"Sa pinagsanib na pwersa ng kapulisyahan at militar, asahan niyong hindi tayo titigil hanggang sa makamit ang hustisya sa mga biktima ng karahasang ito," Abalos said.

(With the joint efforts of the police and military, expect that we will not stop until justice is served.)

Degamo was at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on Saturday morning distributing aid to beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) when armed men barged in and fired shots.

The governor was killed along with five others. On Sunday, the death toll reached nine, with 13 others seriously injured, and four others injured but treated as outpatients.

One suspect died during hot pursuit operations while three others were arrested. Authorities are still conducting hot pursuit operations against the remaining suspects.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Saturday denounced the killing of Degamo.

"My government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice," he said. —KG, GMA Integrated News