Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has been designated to lead the special task force that would maintain peace and order and suppress security threats in the Negros Island.

This is pursuant to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Administrative Order (AO) No. 6 dated April 3, which he issued nearly a month after the March 4 attack that killed Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and eight others.

“Base sa naturang AO, tatayo bilang chair ng task force si Abalos habang magsisilbing co-chair niya ang mga Kalihim ng Department of Justice (DOJ) at Department of National Defense (DND), (Based on the said AO, Abalos will stand as the chairperson of the task force while the Secretaries of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of National Defense (DND) will be be the co-chairpersons),’’ the DILG said in a statement Thursday.

Abalos asserted that they want to assure the people of the Negros Island that the government will leave no stone unturned in maintaining law and order in their community.

“The law enforcers and the whole of government are here to protect you and assure you that we will all be on our toes to keep the peace on your island and prevent such crimes from happening again,” Abalos said.

Abalos, meanwhile bared that all of the “hitmen’’ in the Degamo slay case are now under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), vowing that the probe will continue until the masterminds are brought to justice.

Among those nabbed were Marvin Halaman Miranda, the alleged “main co-conspirator” in the assassination, who provided the firearms and paid the “hitmen.”

“Lahat ng assassins accounted (All the assassins are already accounted for) We’re going towards the mastermind or masterminds ng (in the) Degamo case. Kumbaga sa damit (Compared to a clothing), we got all the materials, tatahiin na lamang natin ito (this will just be sewn),” Abalos said.

The DILG chief disclosed that among the task force commanders are the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff.

He added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will provide “emergency relief assistance’’ to the victims’ families in the Degamo killing while the Department of Health (DOH) was tasked to render “psychological rehabilitation’’ to the affected individuals.

Abalos pointed out that the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas will be responsible for coordinating and extending support to the task force’s mandate.

Under AO No. 6, the task force will have the power to coordinate and rationalize the efforts of concerned government agencies and instrumentalities to ensure a whole-of-government approach in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and punishment of violence in the Negros Island. (PNA)