Pamplona massacre | |
---|---|
![]() The residence of Roel Degamo few hours after the attack | |
Location | Pamplona, Negros Oriental, Philippines |
Coordinates | 9°24′16.9″N123°01′14.8″E / 9.404694°N 123.020778°E |
Date | March 4, 2023 c. 9:36 am (PhST) |
Target | Roel Degamo |
Attack type | Shooting, assassination |
Deaths | 10 (including the target) |
Injured | 12 |
Motive | Under investigation, possibly politics |
The Pamplona massacre was a mass shooting and assassination incident that took place at Pamplona, Negros Oriental in the Philippines. On March 4, 2023, at approximately 9:36 A.M. (PhST), a group of former members of the Philippine military stormed the residence of Roel Degamo, the governor of Negros Oriental, in Pamplona and killed Degamo, the target, as well as nine others. [1] The attack happened during the distribution of aid to the local beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. [2] Degamo was rushed to a nearby provincial hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:41 A.M. (PhST). [3]
An investigation was launched by Philippine authorities after the attack. Politics was considered to be the primary motive behind the attack, as Degamo was involved in a contested May 2022 gubernatorial election which saw him assuming the office for a fourth term after winning an electoral protest against Pryde Henry Teves, who was proclaimed winner of the elections. Eleven suspects were arrested by the police in multiple operations across the province. Two of the suspects named a certain 'Cong Teves' as the mastermind in an ambush interview with the media. [4] Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., who was abroad during the attack, was suspended by the House of Representatives following his failure to return to the country to face investigation. He was later expelled by the House, the first expulsion of a representative in the Fifth Republic. [5] The Philippine Senate also launched an inquiry regarding the incident, and invited the representative via teleconferencing but ultimately withdrew due to legal uncertainties. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla considers the representative to be the 'highest mastermind' of the attack. [6]
On February 29, 2024, the Interpol issued a red notice against Teves upon the request of the Philippines. Weeks later, on March 21, Teves was arrested in Timor-Leste by local authorities while playing golf in Dili. [7]
Roel Degamo was the governor of Negros Oriental at the time of his assassination. He became governor in January 2011, after Governor Agustin Perdices died. Perdices himself assumed the post following the death of Governor Emilio Macias II. Degamo was elected governor in 2013 and was reelected in the 2016 and 2019 elections. [8]
Degamo ran for a fourth term in 2022 election, but lost to Pryde Henry Teves who was proclaimed governor. Degamo filed an electoral protest before the Commission on Elections. A recount was made, with votes for a nuisance candidate named Ruel Degamo considered as a vote for Roel Degamo. The final tally of the recount concluded Degamo as the winner and Teves' proclamation was nullified. [8] Degamo took his oath as governor on October 5, 2022, while his rival Teves voluntarily stepped down from his position on October 11, 2022. [9] [10]
On March 4, 2023, at approximately 9:36 a.m., Degamo was shot several times by unidentified men at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental. He was distributing aid to local beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) conditional cash transfer program when the attack happened. [11] [12] He was rushed to Negros Polymedic Hospital in Sibulan, but was pronounced dead at 11:41 a.m. [13] [14] [15]
Eight other people were also killed in the shooting; [16] another died more than two months later. [2] The dead included a barangay kagawad (councilor) and another civilian who were mistaken as Degamo's bodyguards. [17]
On March 16, 2023, Degamo was interred in their family mausoleum at his hometown of Siaton. [18] [19]
Four suspects were arrested in Bayawan while another died in an encounter with state forces. [20] [21] [22]
Eleven suspects, all former military men, are under police custody by April 3; nine of them are former personnel while others were a reservist and a trainee. Six of them were arrested while the rest surrendered. [23] [24] [25] One of those arrested was one of the alleged masterminds, former Army reservist Marvin Miranda. [24] [26] Another suspect killed in pursuit operations was later identified as Arnil Labradilla of Bindoy, a former New People's Army rebel. [27]
Murder and frustrated murder charges were filed by Department of Justice prosecutors against four of those arrested (as listed below) as well as twelve John Does before the Tanjay Regional Trial Court (RTC); also, charges of illegal possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosives against three of them before the Bayawan RTC. [28] [29] Those indicted over the assassination include: [30] [31] [32]
Upon request by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, these criminal cases were later transferred by the Supreme Court to the Manila RTC [29] wherein the cases against seven more suspects, including Miranda, were later filed. [33] A total of 39 complaints have been filed in relation to the incident: ten for murder, 17 for frustrated murder and nine for attempted murder; [34] in addition to one for illegal possession of firearms and two for illegal possession of explosives. [23]
It was reported that there are "more or less" five other suspects. [35]
DOJ later confirmed that on August 18, charges of frustrated murder, attempted murder and murder were filed against another alleged mastermind, then-expelled Negros Oriental's third district representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., and four other individuals, before the Manila RTC. Teves and his co-accused Nigel Electona are among the members of the so-called Teves group who were earlier designated by the Anti-Terrorism Council as terrorists. [36]
The Degamo family speculated that the killing had a political motive pointing out previous killings in the province, some dating prior to the 2022 elections, of supporters of Degamo. [37] Degamo's wife and Pamplona mayor, Janice Degamo, believed that the mastermind was "very known in the country today" but did not specify any name. [38]
Joint Task Force Negros spokesperson Major Cenon Pancito III said that the mastermind could be a former soldier. [39]
Suspects Labrador and Rodriguez on March 9, 2023, pinned a certain "Cong Teves" as the mastermind of the shooting. They testified that they were tasked to kill the governor and was told that the provincial executive was a drug lord. They said they had not met this individual personally. [40] [41]
Among the politicians of Negros Oriental who have served as a member of the House of Representatives bearing the Teves family name were Degamo's rival Arnolfo Teves Jr., and former governor Pryde Henry Teves. [42] [41]
In a privilege speech in Congress, Talino at Galing ng Pinoy (TGP) party-list representative Jose "Bong" Teves Jr. clarified that he was not the "Cong. Teves" referred to by the suspects. He pointed out, that despite sharing his family name with the Teveses of Negros island, that his family hails from Catanduanes in the Bicol Region. [43]
Earlier, to dispel speculations that he was involved in the killing, Arnolfo Teves Jr. said he was undergoing stem cell treatment in the United States at the time of the attack and therefore could not have planned the assassination. [44] He also pointed out that his brother Pryde Henry could not replace Degamo as governor and that the vice governor was his only suitable successor by law. [45]
Following Degamo's killing, Teves Jr. refused to go home to the Philippines, citing concerns over his safety. By April 2023, his whereabouts became unknown, with the Department of Justice saying he was in Cambodia, and Senator Joel Villanueva saying he was sighted in South Korea. [46] [47]
On May 9, Teves had an application to seek political asylum in Timor Leste rejected. [48] The following day the Department of Justice was informed that a blue notice was issued against him by Interpol. [49] On July 26, 2023, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated him, his brother Pryde Henry and 11 others as terrorists due to their links to "alleged killings and harassments," including Degamo's murder, in Negros Oriental. [50] This was the first time the council designated an elected official as a terrorist. [51] In response, Teves criticized President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, several members of his cabinet, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and others in an online press conference for using his case to distract from other issues in the country, while his lawyer called his terrorist designation an "overreaction". [52]
On August 18, charges related to the incident were filed against Teves at Manila RTC. Teves is also facing another, separate murder complaint over the deaths of three individuals in 2019. [53] On 5 September, the court released an arrest warrant for Teves over Degamo's murder. [54] As of 13 September, the Justice Department believes that Teves is in hiding somewhere in Southeast Asia, purportedly under the protection of local warlords. [55] Teves' passport was ordered cancelled by the court on February 9, 2024. [56] A Red Notice was placed on him by Interpol on February 29. [57]
On March 21, 2024, Teves was arrested by the Interpol, National Central Bureau of Dili, and East Timorese Police in Dili. [7] In a conference with the media after the arrest, the Department of Justice acknowledges that the Philippines has no extradition treaty with Timor-Leste, so they are using other channels to bring Teves back to the country as soon as possible. [58]
On April 18, "Teves, Jr.’s son offered a $2,000 (around P114,000) bribe to a member of Timor Leste’s Criminal Investigation Police “in exchange for ‘security’ inside and outside Becora Prison, in Dili,” the Department of Justice said. “On the contrary, it was the officer who demanded money from my client’s son,” reported lawyer Ferdinand Topacio who refuted the allegations. [59] [60]
The Degamo family was open to suspects being placed under the government's witness protection program (WPP), to aid the investigation on the case. [61] Two suspects were placed under the WPP. [32]
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also disclosed that they retrieved a video of the suspects discussing the planning of the assassination. [62]
The Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs Committee launched a probe on Degamo's killing. The first public hearing was held on April 17, 2023. [63]
Arnolfo Teves Jr. was to join via video teleconferencing but senators disproved his participation over uncertainty of whether he would be legally able to testify under oath. [64] Senator Francis Tolentino pointed out that Teves could be able to testify under oath in future hearings by appearing physically in one of the Philippines' diplomatic missions and a military attaché could enforce a contempt order when needed. [63] Senator Ronald dela Rosa initially allowed Teves to participate virtually, which was opposed by Janice Degamo, who believed it would be unfair to those would attend physically to give a 'fugitive' such accommodation. [65]
President Bongbong Marcos attended Degamo's wake and vowed to "bring justice" in Negros Oriental. [61] Marcos and other governors from other provinces condemned the killing. [66] Marcos ordered the formation of a special panel of prosecutors to look into killings in Negros Oriental including Degamo's assassination. [67]
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos issued a directive calling for the replacement of all police personnel in Negros Oriental following the assassination. [31]
The Commission on Elections vowed faster resolution of election-related protests after Senator Risa Hontiveros said that the Teves–Degamo electoral protest was related to the assassination. [68] Senate President Migz Zubiri described the shooting as an act of political terrorism. [69]
The Region 7 office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development provided ₱513 thousand worth of financial assistance to survivors and relatives of those who died from the attack. [70]
On August 16, 2023, Arnolfo Teves Jr. was unanimously expelled by the House of Representatives due to his abandonment of duty, prolonged absence, and "indecent behavior on social media." With this, he became the first expelled representative since the ratification of the 1987 Constitution that restored the Congress. [5] In response, Teves' lawyer called the body a "kangaroo court". [71]
The Dacer–Corbito double murder case is one of the unsolved murders occurred in the Philippines during the administration of Joseph Estrada.
Terrorism is a major social issue in the Philippines linked to the Moro conflict and the communist rebellion. The country ranks in 18th place on the Global Terrorism Index's 2023 list of countries most affected by terrorism.
The 2007 Batasang Pambansa bombing occurred on the night of November 13, 2007, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, Philippines—the seat of the country's House of Representatives. As representatives Wahab Akbar, Luzviminda Ilagan (Gabriela), and Pryde Henry Teves were exiting the south wing of the building after a session, explosives in a nearby parked motorcycle were detonated. Akbar and a staffer of Ilagan were killed in the blast. Ilagan and Teves were injured, while four injured staffers later succumbed to their injuries.
Pryde Henry Alipit Teves is a Filipino politician who served as governor of Negros Oriental from June to October 2022, when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) annulled his proclamation due to a recount of the May 2022 election. He was the mayor of Bayawan, Negros Oriental from 2016 to 2022, and was the Representative of Negros Oriental's 3rd district from 2007 to 2016. He is a survivor of the 2007 Batasang Pambansa bombing, although both of his eardrums and legs were severely injured.
Roel Ragay Degamo was a Filipino politician who served as governor of Negros Oriental from 2011 to June 2022, and again from October 2022 until his assassination on March 4, 2023. He previously served as the province's vice governor from 2010 to 2011, and was a municipal councilor of Siaton from 1998 to 2007.
The Negros Island Region, also abbreviated and officially designated as NIR, was a short-lived administrative region in the Philippines which comprised the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, both of which cover the island of Negros, currently proposed for re-establishment. It existed from May 29, 2015, to August 9, 2017. Local officials and the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution have proposed to reinstate Negros as a region or state of a Philippine federation.
The Governor of Negros Oriental is the local chief executive and head of the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental. Along with the Governor of Negros Occidental and the Mayor of the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, he sits as one of the chief executives of Negros Island.
2019 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2019.
The Negros killings were a series of targeted assassinations carried out by unidentified gunmen in the provinces of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental in the Philippines. Some of the victims involved were suspected communists or sympathizers. Following the killings, Memorandum Order No. 32 was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on November 23, 2018, upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte deploying additional troops to the provinces of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Samar, and the Bicol Region to "suppress sporadic acts of violence" allegedly committed by lawless groups and to "prevent such violence from spreading and escalating elsewhere in the country." Even after the memorandum was signed, the incidence of killings continued. According to the Defend Negros Movement, the first recorded extrajudicial killing on Negros Island was Alexander Ceballos on January 20, 2017. The group also alleged that at least 84 persons have been killed since 2017.
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in the Philippines were held on October 30, 2023. The elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials will begin their terms at noon on November 30, 2023. The barangay is the smallest administrative division in the country.
Negros Oriental's 3rd congressional district is one of the three congressional districts of the Philippines in the province of Negros Oriental. It has been represented in the House of Representatives since 1987. The district consists of the southernmost parts of the province that were previously included in Negros Oriental's 2nd district. It contains the city of Bayawan and the municipalities immediately to the south and west of the provincial capital city, Dumaguete, namely Bacong, Basay, Dauin, Santa Catalina, Siaton, Valencia and Zamboanguita. It is currently vacant for the 19th Congress since the expulsion of its most recent representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. on August 16, 2023.
Gubernatorial elections were held in the Philippines on May 9, 2022. All provinces will elect their provincial governors for three-year terms, who will be inaugurated on June 30, 2022 after their proclamation. Governors that are currently serving their third consecutive terms are prohibited from running as governors.
Arnolfo "Arnie" Alipit Teves Jr. is a Filipino politician and businessman. A member of the Nationalist People's Coalition, he last served as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the 3rd District of Negros Oriental from 2016 to his expulsion in 2023. He also served as a deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 2020 to 2022.
2023 in the Philippines details notable events that occurred in the Philippines in 2023.
On October 3, 2022, Percy Lapid, a radio journalist and radio broadcaster, was shot dead while on his way home in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines.
A special election would have been held in Negros Oriental's 3rd congressional district on December 9, 2023, to fill the district's vacant seat in the House of Representatives of the Philippines for the remainder of the 19th Congress.
2024 in the Philippines details notable events that have occurred, or are scheduled to take place, in the Philippines in 2024.