PRO-7 ready to cooperate in Senate hearing on spate of killings

Camp Sergio Osmeña | CDN Digital File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) vowed to cooperate in the Senate hearing on the recent spate of killings involving politicians in the country.

At least two top police officials from Central Visayas were expected to appear as resource speakers in the ongoing Senate hearing, Police Lt. Col. Gerald Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7, confirmed.

They are Police Colonels Arnel Banzon and Rommel Ochave, both active police officials.

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PRO-7 Senate hearing: full cooperation

“The instruction of our regional director (Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin) is we will give our full cooperation in the ongoing Senate inquiry done in aid of legislation,” Pelare told reporters in a teleconference.

Banzon was the former director of the Negros Provincial Police Office while Ochave previously headed the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7).

The Senate summoned the two police officials to shed light on the peace and order situation in Negros Oriental.

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Relay info

However, this did not necessarily mean they had any involvement on the Pamplona massacre that claimed the lives of former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, and eight others last March, Pelare said.

“All those police officers who were mentioned, in one way or another, they were instructed by RD to participate in the Senate inquiry and relay any information,” Pelare said.

In the meantime, the PRO-7 spokesperson assured the public that morale among their ranks remained strong despite the recent developments and that these would not hamper any operations, programs, and services expected from them.

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