Authorities have recovered from the suspects the assault rifle that was used to assassinate Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Saturday.
PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said this was the result of the ballistic examination.
“Maliban po dito sa apat [suspects] na nasa custody ng NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), gaya ng nasabi ko yung forensic evidence, particularly yung isa doon sa assault rifle na narecover natin na positive na siyang nagamit doon sa pagpatay kay Governor Degamo,” Fajardo said at a press conference.
The original owner, seller, and buyer of the vehicles used in the killing of the governor were also under investigation, Fajardo said.
“Kung paano itong mga sasakyan na ito some of them yung mga plaka ay pinagpalit; some of them are no record po sa LTO (Land Transportation Office); maging yung mga baril na nagamit yung iba walang record bahagi po yan ng ginagawang investigation,” she added.
Degamo was talking to beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) at his residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on the morning of Saturday, March 4, when armed men barged in and fired shots.
The governor and five others were killed. The death toll rose to nine the day after the attack. Thirteen others were seriously injured, while four were treated as outpatients.
Three suspects were arrested during a hot pursuit operation in Bayawan City on March 4. One other suspect died in an encounter with authorities in the province, police said.
Another suspect was arrested on March 5.
Fajardo said the special task force believes that they are “nearing the solution of the case” given the pieces of evidence gathered. — VBL, GMA Integrated News
