Pamplona massacre: ‘Natrauma kaayo mi diri’ – resident
Noy, 52-year-old resident of Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona, Negros Oriental, says residents in the town has been traumatized by the deadly attack on Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — It was a long night for some residents of Barangay San Isidro in Pamplona town in Negros Oriental after they witnessed and experienced the deadly attack that happened inside the compound of slain Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo last Saturday, March 4.
Noy, not his real name, a 52-year-old resident of Barangay San Isidro, shared that he was traumatized even if he was a few meters away from the area. After more or less two minutes, nine individuals were killed. That two minutes alone has affected him a lot.
“Hadlok, wa mi dayun katulog ato,” Noy said.
(We were scared, we could not sleep right away then.)
Noy heard several gunfire from the area, fresh from his memories are those individuals trying to save their lives, some even ran toward the cliff to hide and some made their way to Cafe Alicia, a cafe owned by the Degamos.
Security guard
But despite this two-minute tragic moment, it was different for the security guard, who was supposedly the duty guard at that time.
Noy said that this security guard was late for his shift at 9 a.m. Being late for a few minutes saved his life at that time. When the security guard arrived, the shooting already happened.
But the other on duty guard, at that time, was among those who were killed, Noy added. Noy further said that moments before the killing, one of the drivers of the getaway vehicles even had a quick stop in one store nearby and ordered coffee there.
“Ninaug ang driver, nangape unya nigawas ang duha ka nakauniporme, nagdala M16…wala nag mask. Di nako kahinundum ato nila kay natrauma ko,” Noy said.
(The driver of the vehicle got off the vehicle and had coffee (at a nearby store) and then two men in uniform, with M16s got out the vehicle…they were not wearing masks. I could not remember them anymore because I am traumatized by it.)
Noy did not even think that those individuals in uniform have this kind of plan. These men quickly left the store after the gunfire started. They were believed to have come from Bayawan City and disembarked in Degamo’s compound.
Misled by uniforms
For his part, Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) spokesperson, in an interview with dyHP, a Cebu-based radio station, said that there could be a possibility that the guards in the area, at that time, were misled by the uniforms worn by the perpetrators (and) that is why there was no hindrance seen upon their entry, as recorded by the security camera in the area.
It can be recalled that police disclosed that ‘a group of persons wearing pixelized uniform and in full battle gear’ shot the governor several times hitting Degamo and some civilians. As of this posting, four suspects were already arrested, including three former members of the Philippine Army. One suspect was killed during a firefight against government troops in Barangay Cansumalig in Bayawan City.
According to Pelare, the suspects came from Bayawan City area when they arrived in Barangay San Isidro. After committing the crime, they fled towards Pamplona but upon noticing a checkpoint or road blocking there, they made a U-turn and made their way to a shortcut going to Barangay Cansumalig in Bayawan City.
Pelare said that this possibly disoriented the plan of the perpetrators.
People’s Day
Further, Noy said that every Saturday, Degamo usually would open his compound for his constituents. They call this as People’s Day. Not only the residents of Pamplona, but also other residents of different towns and cities here would go there to ask for financial assistance and other needs.
As early as 4 a.m, these residents were already lining up outside the compound as they would be logged before they enter the compound.
Noy said that Degamo would cater to his constituents until the end of the day and more or less 300 residents would usually go there for their needs.
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