Interpol Blue Notice eyed vs. Degamo slay suspects

MILITARY PRECISION A series of screenshots from a security camera at the residence of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo shows several gunmen in military uniforms and bulletproof vests casually entering the compound in Pamplona town on Saturday before shooting him and several other people. (ROEL DEGAMO FACEBOOK PHOTO/CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is set to ask the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a Blue Notice against the suspects in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

In a statement released by the Office of the President, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson Mico Clavano said that the government has already taken “concrete steps” for the issuance of an international lookout bulletin.

“So all those that are in relation to the Degamo slay, we have taken concrete steps na maglabas po ng international lookout bulletin, pinagpag-usapan po natin ang paglagay ng mga tao sa blue list, sa Interpol ‘no – Blue Notice (we have discussed putting people on the blue list, Interpol – Blue Notice),” Clavano said.

Color-coded notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information issued by the General Secretariat at the request of a member country.

This notice, said Clavano, would allow the county to monitor the movements of the suspects

“We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware ‘no doon sa movements ng ating mga respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital doon sa ating investigation,” Clavano added.

(We hope to do that maybe next week just so that we are aware of the movements of our respondents who may very well be involved in the Degamo slay and who may be vital to our investigation.)

Additionally, Clavano bared that cases have already been filed against the four gunmen were arrested near the scene of the crime, while the government is now currently investigating 10 more individuals.

“Mas marami pa po ‘no sa sampu iyong na involved sa investigation ho natin. Lumalabas po sa mga statements na mayroon po tayong parang layering na tinatawag ‘no – so mayroon po tayong mga gunmen, mga directly involved po doon sa assassination bilang driver, lookout iyong mga ganoon… tapos meron ho tayong handler or parang middleman ‘no na tinatawag. So ito iyong nagsisilbing parang layer of security doon sa ating mastermind,” he said.

(There are more than ten involved in our investigation. It appears from the statements that we have something like a layering – so we have gunmen, those directly involved in the assassination such as drivers, lookout people like that… then we have a handler or like a middleman. So this serves as a layer of security for our mastermind.)

Degamo, along with eight others, were killed by heavily armed men that barged into the governor’s residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental on March 4.

The Special Investigation Task Group Degamo earlier confirmed that the recent revelation of the Department of Justice, which named Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. as the alleged mastermind in the killing of Degamo, was part of its investigation results.

Teves condemned the killing of Degamo and denied involvement in the crime.

RELATED STORIES:

Speaker urges Teves to return home, face Degamo slay issue: We want to hear your side

Degamo kin to Teves: Come home, face charges

Degamo slay mastermind believed to be former soldier

gsg