Wife of slain driver in Pamplona massacre: ‘He was supposed to be on day off’

Lady Jean Canseco wipes off tears as she narrates how her husband, Jomar Canseco, was killed in a massacre in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona town, Negros Oriental. The shooting, known as the Pamplona massacre, killed eight others, including Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo. CDN Digital photo | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental – Lady Jean Canseco is appealing to law enforcers to give justice for the death of her husband Jomar Canseco, who was one of the victims of the massacre in Barangay San Isidro, Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

Jomar was one of eight who were killed when armed men entered the compound of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo on Saturday, March 4, 2023, and opened fire. The Governor was killed in the shooting.

Four suspects have been arrested after a hot-pursuit operation while one was killed in a reported shootout with police.

“Akoa lang unta nga ang hustisya madali ug madakpan ang kung kinsa man jod ang nagsugo,” Lady Jean said.

(I just hope justice will be served fast and whoever is the mastermind will be arrested.)

According to Lady Jean, Jomar was one of the drivers of Governor Degamo. She said he was supposedly on his day off when the shooting happened.

“He was supposed to be off on Saturday. He usually works five days and then rests for five days.  What I know is that on that day, he worked because one of his co workers requested to be relieved since he  needed to attend to an emergency,”  Lady Jean said.

“He said he pitied his co worker since it was an emergency. I asked him to go at lunch time but he said he said he needed to go early since a vehicle was already waiting at the gate,” she added.

Jomar, who had been a driver for Degamo’s bodyguards, left his house in Barangay Poblacion going to Barangay San Isidro at about 8:30 a.m. on March 4. He arrived there around 9 a.m., a few minutes before the shooting happened.

Lady Jean said Jomar was at the barracks when perpetrators shot him and the eight others.

The wake of Jomar Canseco at their home in Barangay Poblacion in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental. CDN Digital photo | Pegeen Maisie Sararaña

According to Lady Jean, her husband was shot once at the right side of his body and the bullet exited at the other side.

She said when she heard of the news of the shooting, she kept calling her husband’s cellphone.

“It just kept on ringing. Nobody answered and it was already 12 noon. I didn’t go to the compound since it was prohibited already.” Lady Jean said.

She said she was still hopeful that her husband was not hurt.

“They said the governor was brought to the hospital. So I thought he was the one who drove for the governor and that’s why he wasn’t picking up. The father of my husband was also collecting information and we were starting to get scared. He went to the house of the village chief and when he came back, he said he was told that two drivers were killed and one of them was Jerome. So I asked who was the other one killed? He didn’t reply,” she said.

This is when Lady Jean went to the hospital. She looked for her husband at the emergency room. However, she found her husband lying at the morgue. All she could do was break into tears.

Lady Jean described her husband as someone who is kind, responsible, hardworking, generous, and loving.

Jomar and his wife have two daughters aged 12 and eight years, respectively.

Lady Jean is appealing for help from the government so she could start another journey, unfortunately, without her husband. She also hopes that the government will provide educational assistance to secure the future of her children.

/bmjo

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