Interior Secretary Benjamin 'Benhur' Abalos Jr. will head the special task force that will be in charged to keep the peace and order and suppress threats in Negros Island.
Abalos' designation was announced by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in a Facebook post on Thursday, days after President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order No. 6 ordering the creation of the special task force "DEGAMO".
“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)," the DILG stated.
Also part of the task force is the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
According to the DILG chief, the newly-formed group aims to guarantee the people of Negros of their safety and security.
"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," he added.