Crime rate in Negros Oriental dropped since Pamplona massacre — PRO-7

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7, relayed that Negros Oriental has been peaceful with less crimes recorded since the Pamplona massacre that happened one year ago. | Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines —  The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) revealed that the number of crime incidents in the province of Negros Oriental has “dramatically” decreased since the occurrence of the Pamplona massacre. 

On Monday, March 4, 2024, marked the one year anniversary of the fatal shooting incident that left Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others dead inside his home in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental. 

READ: Pamplona Massacre anniversary: ‘Where are we now in our pursuit of justice?’

Later known as the Pamplona massacre, the assassination rattled the entire nation and launched an extensive investigation to find the persons responsible and deliver justice. 

Expelled Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., accused of being the mastermind, remains in hiding while a red notice has been issued against him by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

A red notice is defined by Interpol as a “request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.”

This means that Teves, who is reportedly in Timor Leste, is now the target of an international manhunt.

READ: Remulla confirms Teves on Interpol red notice, target of global manhunt

Peaceful living situation

In light of the incident’s anniversary, an official of the PRO-7 have relayed to reporters on Tuesday, March 5, that the residents of the province are now enjoying a peaceful living situation. 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7, said that they had monitored lesser crimes committed in Negros Oriental since the deadly attack. 

“The peace and order situation in Negros Oriental is very peaceful. If we are going to record our assessment from the time of the incident last year, now there is a dramatic decrease of crimes committed and recorded. And shooting incidents, nag-ubos pud (also decreased) to the minimum level,” he said.

Pelare mentioned that in the previous months, they were able to apprehend and neutralize various armed personalities responsible for perpetrating various crimes in the province. 

READ: Interpol issues red notice for former lawmaker Teves

Not complacent

Despite the peace, Pelare shared that they would not want to be complacent because the problem of insurgency was still present in Negros Oriental. 

“Although we do not want to let our guards down because we are still confronting kining problema nato sa communist terrorist group diha sa Negros Oriental (this problem of the communist terrorist group here in),” he said. 

He added that there were still a considerable amount of law enforcement agents deployed in Negros Oriental tasked to make sure that the peace and order would be maintained.

“Naa gihapon tay maximum deployment, of course, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In fact, I can tell you nga naa pa tay mga gipangtan-aw karon nga mga personalities, who have warrants of arrest, naa diha sa Negros Oriental,” said Pelare. 

(We also have maximum deployment, of course, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. In fact, I can tell you that we still have to look at now some personalities, who have warrants of arrest, there in Negros Oriental.)

Communist terrorist groups

Furthermore, Pelare said that they were optimistic that the province would be completely free of communist terrorist groups in no time through their relentless operations. 

“Ang tanang guerrilla front sa Negros Oriental were already dismantled. Meaning to say, ang core group nila is already neutralized. Although, we can still monitor naay mga attempt or recovery works that are being done. We are confident that it will not be long nga ang Negros Oriental ma-free na gyud sa insurgency,” he said. 

(All the guerrilla fronts in Negros Oriental were already dismantled. Meaning to say, their core group is already neutralized. Although, we can still monitor that there are attempts or recovery works that are being done. We are confident that it will not be long that Negros Orient will be free of the insurgency.)

In addition to this, members of private armed groups (PAGs) are also being neutralized by law enforcers in the province. 

These groups consist mostly of rogue elements with warrants of arrest against them and were hired by certain individuals to be gun-for-hire personalities. 

The discovery of these members began to rise, according to Pelare, after the killing of Degamo on March 4, 2023. 

Private armed groups

He also disclosed that there were only 9 persons left at large from the 29 individuals initially identified to be members of private armed groups in Negros Oriental. 

Pelare said that the remaining members were now in a disarray and were hiding from police personnel outside of the country. 

“Ang members sa PAG, they are one by one being neutralized so we don’t see it as a big challenge. Although, we don’t want to be complacent…But now we are down to 9 members and most of them are not found in the country. That’s why I’m saying nga we are methodically neutralizing private armed group in Negros,” he said.

(The members of PAG, they are one by one being neutralized so we don’t see it as a big challenge. Although, we don’t want to be complacent…But now we are down to 9 members and most of them are not found in the country. That’s why I’m saying that we are methodically neutralizing private armed groups in Negros.)

According to Pelare, the directive of the regional director Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin is to make sure that ultimately, all threat groups will be neutralized in Negros Oriental. 

“Years back, they were still a challenge. But now, after we have instituted security measures, nagkagamay, nagkagamay hangtod nga magkawa na gyud na sila (they have become fewer and fewer until they are now disappearing),” he added.