NEGROS ORIENTAL, Philippines — Three years have passed since gunfire shattered the quiet town of Pamplona, killing Governor Roel R. Degamo and nine others in an attack that shocked the nation and renewed concerns about political violence in local governance.
The killings on March 4, 2023 — now widely known as the Pamplona massacre — remain one of the most consequential criminal cases in recent Philippine political history. The case continues to move through the courts as investigators and prosecutors attempt to establish accountability for the broad daylight attack.
The violence began shortly after 9:30 a.m. at Degamo’s residential compound in Pamplona, a rural municipality about 20 kilometers from the provincial capital of Dumaguete City. That morning, Degamo had been meeting with constituents and distributing financial assistance to residents when a group of armed men arrived.
Authorities later said the attackers wore military-style tactical gear and pixelated camouflage uniforms. Armed with high-powered rifles, they entered the compound and opened fire.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as gunshots rang out across the compound where the governor and civilians had gathered. People scrambled for safety as the gunmen fired repeatedly.
Degamo was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at 11:41 a.m., according to official reports. Nine other individuals — including aides and civilians who had come to seek assistance — were also killed in the attack, while about 17 others were wounded.
After the shooting, the gunmen fled in three sport utility vehicles, which were later found abandoned. The discovery triggered a massive manhunt that resulted in the arrest of several suspects believed to have directly participated in the assault.
For investigators, however, the arrests of the alleged gunmen were only the beginning of a far more complex investigation.
Authorities soon began examining allegations that the attack had been orchestrated by individuals with political ties in the province. Prosecutors later filed multiple murder charges against Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr., a former congressman who represented Negros Oriental’s third district.
Teves denied involvement in the killings and maintained that he was overseas when the attack occurred. His absence from the Philippines triggered an international search that lasted more than a year.
In March 2024, authorities arrested Teves in Timor-Leste. After prolonged legal proceedings there, he was deported to the Philippines in May 2025 and placed under government custody.
As of March 2026, Teves remains detained while facing non-bailable charges in connection with the Pamplona massacre. Court proceedings related to the killings are still ongoing.
The case has drawn national attention not only because of the scale of the violence but also because of the political circumstances surrounding it.
Degamo had returned to the governorship in 2022 after the Commission on Elections ruled in his favor in an electoral protest against Pryde Henry Teves, the brother of the former congressman accused in the case.
That ruling restored Degamo to office after years of political rivalry in the province. Political tensions between competing factions in Negros Oriental had long existed, but the March 2023 attack represented a dramatic and deadly escalation.
Degamo had been a prominent figure in provincial politics for more than a decade, serving multiple terms as governor. He was widely known for social welfare programs aimed at assisting poor communities across Negros Oriental.
His killing sent shock waves through the province and across the country.
In the weeks following the attack, national authorities launched a series of security operations throughout Negros Oriental aimed at dismantling private armed groups and recovering illegal firearms believed to be connected to political violence.
Several operations resulted in the seizure of weapons and the arrest of individuals suspected of involvement in armed activities tied to local political disputes.
Meanwhile, the legal battle surrounding the Degamo case has continued to evolve.
On January 16, 2026, a Manila court acquitted Teves in a separate criminal case involving the 2019 killing of a provincial board member, citing insufficient evidence. The ruling, however, did not affect the multiple murder charges connected to the Pamplona massacre, which remain pending.
Court hearings in the Degamo case have included witness testimonies and the presentation of evidence from both the prosecution and the defense. Because of the complexity of the case and the number of accused individuals involved, proceedings are expected to extend through 2026.
For many residents of Negros Oriental, the massacre remains one of the most defining and tragic events in the province’s recent history.
Political violence has long been a concern in parts of the Philippines, particularly during periods of intense local rivalry. But the scale and brazenness of the Pamplona attack — carried out in daylight against a sitting governor — made it especially alarming.
The killings renewed calls from civil society groups and national leaders for stronger action against private armed groups and politically motivated violence.
They also prompted renewed discussions about the security of public officials and the broader challenge of dismantling entrenched political rivalries that can sometimes turn deadly.
Three years after the attack, the pursuit of justice continues.
For the families of the ten victims, the passage of time has not diminished the weight of the tragedy.
The Pamplona massacre remains both an ongoing criminal case and a stark reminder of the risks faced by communities when political competition descends into violence.
As the third anniversary of the killings passes, one central question remains unresolved: whether the Philippine justice system will ultimately deliver accountability for one of the most shocking political assassinations in the country’s recent history.