RESTORING PEACE. Soldiers from six Army Battalions are now in Negros Oriental province. Visayas Command chief, Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, on Monday (March 13, 2023) declares that government troops will not leave Negros Oriental until the peace and order situation is restored in the province following the murder of Governor Roel Degamo and eight others. (Photos courtesy of Visayas Command PIO)
CEBU CITY – The military's Visayas Command (Viscom) on Monday said soldiers deployed over the weekend to Negros Oriental province will assist the Philippine National Police and will not leave the province until peace and order is restored following the murder of Governor Roel Degamo.
Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, Viscom chief, said the presence of uniformed military personnel in the second and third districts of the province is also aimed at restoring the confidence of the people to the rule of law and encourage witnesses to come forward to shed light on the murder of Degamo and eight other victims.
Arevalo said the presence of the Army and the police also seeks to give confidence to other witnesses to surface and provide information in numerous unsolved killings in the province.
“As mentioned by Senior Undersecretary Galvez Jr., this is the day of reckoning, and we will never falter in our efforts to enforce the full might of the law and restore peace and order in the entire Negros Island,” Arevalo said in a statement.
Arevalo said the troops will closely work with the police “to step up the joint law enforcement efforts in order to capture the remaining suspects of the violent attack.”
Major Israel Galorio, Viscom public information officer, said the government troops’ presence in the two districts will help constrict the movement of the remaining suspects in the area to force them to surrender.
“Viscom also wants to secure the family of the Governor Degamo and other victims of the shooting incident in Pamplona,” Galorio told the Philippine News Agency in an interview, even as he explained that there is no timeline as to the presence of the Joint Task Force in the province.
On Sunday, Viscom held a send-off ceremony in Siaton town for the personnel from the 11th Infantry Battalion, 94th Infantry Battalion, 79th Infantry Battalion; 62nd Infantry Battalion; 15th Infantry Battalion, and the 47th Infantry Battalion.
Galorio said the deployment came after Galvez and AFP Chief of Staff, General Andres Centino issued directives to place the six battalions as augmentation force to suppress lawlessness and impunity in the area. (PNA)
