President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured on Tuesday, March 7, that justice will be served to the family of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and other victims of the Pamplona massacre.
Marcos, who visited the wake of Degamo at his home in Dumaguete City Tuesday evening, also vowed to provide assistance to the families of those who were killed and injured during the gun attack.
Heavily armed men entered the Degamo compound in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on Saturday and killed the governor and eight others, and wounded 17.
Many of those killed and injured were indigent civilians seeking government assistance.
Marcos met with Degamo’s widow, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, and relatives of the other massacre victims.
“I just came here para makiramay sa family ni Gov. Roel. Nagtatanong lang kami kung ano pa ‘yung kailangang gawin, paano matulungan ‘yung mga biktima at pati ‘yung mga nasa ospital ngayon (I just came here to express my condolences to the family of Gov. Roel. We are just asking what else needs to be done, how we can help the victims, including those who are in the hospital now,” Marcos told reporters following his visit.
“Nandiyan ‘yung mga ibang kamag-anak at asawa ng mga namatay kaya’t nakausap din natin. Sinabi ko lang sa kanila na makakaasa sila na magkakaroon ng hustisya dito sa inyong probinsiya na naging masyadong magulo na (The other relatives and spouses of the deceased were there, so we also talked to them. I just told them that they can be assured that there will be justice here in your province that has become so chaotic),” the president said.
Marcos also committed to give educational scholarships to the children of those killed and shoulder the medical fees of those wounded.
Marcos has strongly condemned the massacre and has vowed that his administration will do everything in its power to bring those behind the killing to the bar of justice.
“My government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice,” the president said in an earlier statement.
The suspects “cannot go unpunished”, he said.
Four of the alleged gunmen in the massacre have been arrested and charged, while one was killed in and encounter with government forces.
The police said they are still conducting a manhunt for the rest of the suspects.*