MANILA, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos has sworn in Negros Oriental Vice Governor Carlo Jorge Joan Reyes as the new governor of the province.
In a Facebook post near midnight on Saturday, Abalos said Reyes took his oath on March 4, hours after Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo was killed in a brazen shooting.
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Abalos also condemned the killing of Degamo, where several others were also shot and injured.
“As the police and military join forces, expect that we will not stop until justice is secured for the victims of this violence,” he added in Filipino.
Police said six suspects carrying rifles and dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by the armed services entered the governor's home in Pamplona town and opened fire on Saturday.
The politician was distributing aid to constituents when he was shot, provincial police spokesman Kym Lopez was quoted in an AFP report.
Police said they were searching for 10 suspects, including the six gunmen, who fled the scene in two SUVs and a pickup truck before abandoning the vehicles in a nearby city.
One suspect killed
Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, Philippine National Police Region 7 spokesperson, in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB on early Sunday morning said they have so far arrested three persons while one other was killed in a supposed “hot pursuit” operation.
“One suspect died during an encounter in a pursuit operation with joint elements of PNP, armed forces and special action force,” he said partly in Filipino.
He added that they have also recovered firearms that included four assault rifles.
Degamo, 56, is the latest target in the Philippines' long history of attacks on politicians. He is at least the third to be shot since last year's general election.
The Supreme Court last month declared him the rightful winner of the contest for the Negros Oriental governorship following a recount that unseated his local rival, who had previously been proclaimed the victor.
Pelare noted that the province has “intense political rivalry,” but he was quick to stress that “nothing is definite right now,” as investigators are looking into all possible motives for the killing.
Pelare said that in their latest tally, nine were killed; 13 were seriously injured while four with minor injury were treated as out-patients.
President Ferdinand Marcos condemned what he described as the "assassination" of his political ally and warned the perpetrators to "surrender now it will be your best option".
"My government will not rest until we have brought the perpetrators of this dastardly and heinous crime to justice," Marcos added. — Kristine Joy Patag with reports from AFP/Cecil Morella