Cebu City Councilor calls for swift justice on Degamo murder case

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera has called upon law enforcement agencies to solve swiftly the murder case of a close friend and Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

During the city council’s regular session on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, Pesquera delivered a privilege speech about the recent murder of Degamo and the 2019 murder of the late board member of the Negros Oriental 3rd district, Miguel Lopez Dungog.

READ: Degamo slay brains believed to be former soldier

The councilor, during the council’s session which was broadcasted live on Facebook, also appealed to police authorities to immediately beef up security measures to assure peace and order, and protection of every local government unit.

Pesquera, in her speech, said that she was somehow unsurprised by Degamo’s passing because of what the late governor’s former trusted official was able to share with her.

Pesquera said the late Dungog allegedly told her once, just before he passed away, that, allegedly, there were individuals who were plotting the governor’s death.

The councilor, however, did not identify who these individuals are.

Pesquera said she and the late governor Degamo became personal friends after they started as members of the local legislative body at the same time in 1998 until 2007.

She was also close to the late Dungog, Degamo’s trusted official, who was killed last March 25, 2019 in front of Siliman Medical Center in Dumaguete City.

Pesquera, on Wednesday, mentioned that Dungog feared for his safety after allegedly receiving death threats.

“We had a number of meetings and especially when we hosted the Island Congress in Boracay in 2018 and during that period, the late Miguel or Migs mentioned a number of times, and in fact, he said, he had to bring a number of people by land trip from his place to Boracay because at that time in 2018, there was already a threat to his life,” she said.

“And when I asked him, who do you think are threatening you? He said pagan kuno siya kay ang target g’yod kuno ang gobernador (Degamo). Kay siya kuno ang trusted sa gobernador mao na nga naapil siya,” she added.

Pesquera also recalled that the members of the same office where she and Dungog were members were supposed to have a meeting in February 2019, but this did not push through as Dungog reportedly said: “it was no longer safe for him to travel” during that time.

It was a month before he was killed.

“That’s why of the brazen attack and killing of Gov. Roel Degamo last March 4, I wasn’t surprised because as I already mentioned, were the words of the late Migs Dungog ang target 2019 g’yod kuno ang gobernador,” she said.

“It’s so sad to know friends to leave us ahead, much more it’s painful to hear friends who are murdered,” she added.

Pesquera then commended the Philippine National Police for finally filing a case against the suspected mastermind and perpetrators of Dungog.

She also extended sympathies to the bereaved family of Degamo.

The councilor also requested the Department of Health to provide psychological, psychiatric, and counseling services to the survivors of the massacre in Pamplona, Negros Oriental last March 4.

Governor was to be laid to rest on Thursday, March 16.

/bmjo