Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 11) — The Senate hearing on the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo on Thursday drew conflicting interests that prompted the committee chairman to stand his ground in steering the proceedings.
In the fifth and last hearing on the March 4 attack that killed the governor and nine others, and other cases of killings in the province, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he wanted to listen to every resource person after the local official’s widow suggested prioritizing her list.
THREAD: The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs holds its fifth hearing on the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.
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In a bid to steer the inquiry to focus on the slain governor, Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo suggested that the panel hear first the victims from the killings that would point to the “same mastermind,” explaining she brought victims who are not “barkers of the Teveses” and others who came to do “character assassination.”
“If I may suggest, shall we continue with those victims and then after all of the victims that came here to air out their sentiments regarding the deaths of their loved ones, as well as abuses, pwede namang sila na naman [they could be next],” Degamo said.
“Because kung titingnan nating nang maigi, parang nakikisakay sila [If we look at it thoroughly, it seems like they’re riding on our backs],” she added, referring to the families of journalists killed in the province.
Dela Rosa cut in, saying: “You cannot dictate this Chair on how to conduct its business… I am running the show, I am running the investigation and please that is subtly dictating me on how to do my job here as chairman.”
He asked Degamo to bear with him as he is trying to give everyone the chance to speak in the “interest of fairness.”
Hours later, Degamo again raised her concern, stressing that other resource persons could have the floor “exclusively” after her list finishes.
“There seem to be people trying to turn the tables, so to speak,” she said. “We don’t seem to get over with the thing about the Rex Cornelio case when we are barely over about the case that happened to the governor along with the others who died with him, as well as those who died pointing to the same perpetrators.”
Dumaguete radio reporter Cornelio Pepino — better known as Rex Cornelio — was gunned down in May 2020.
The late governor Degamo filed libel complaints against Cornelio in 2015 but the broadcaster was acquitted two years after.
Dela Rosa cut in again and said it was not their intention to have an “exclusive” hearing, adding it will not be “viable” for the committee.
“Baka iniisip mo na nagka-capitalize tayo rito sa Cornelio case para i-discredit kayo, no, it is not… I am the one dictating the tempo of this investigation kaya nga lang bumabalik at bumabalik doon kasi nabanggit na naman ‘yong pangalan ni (police officer Ruel) Piñero para ma-expedite lahat. Anyway, please have trust in this committee.
[Translation: Maybe you’re thinking we’re capitalizing on the Cornelio case to discredit you, no it is not. I am the one dictating the tempo of this investigation but we go back to that case because Piñero has been mentioned multiple times to expedite the process of the hearing.]
Piñero is one of Degamo’s security aides and has been tagged in the journalist’s slay case.
“We’re not taking sides,” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, the committee’s vice chairperson, also said. “We’re here to ferret out the truth at lahat ng mga kaso na pinag-uusapan dito ay mahalaga patungkol do’n sa mga patayan na nangyayari sa probinsiya ninyo, Negros Oriental.”
[Translation: We’re here to ferret out the truth and all cases being talked about here are vital to the killings in your province.]
Other resource persons who have yet to appear in the hearing were told to submit affidavits instead.
Prompted by a resolution filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the inquiry seeks to recommend policies to address the “increasing culture of violence in the Philippines.”
