Koko alarmed by the academe’s murder

TWO senators on Sunday, December 3, called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies to exhaust all efforts to quickly arrest the assailants of a university president in Cagayan de Oro City.

Dr. Ricardo Rotoras, president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges as well as of the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP), was shot dead outside his house in Barangay Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, at around

1 a.m. Saturday, December 2. He died from eight gunshot wounds.

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senator Francis Chiz Escudero condemned the killing and called on the police to unmask and arrest the masterminds.

Pimentel, who hails from Cagayan de Oro City, expressed alarm and outrage over the attack.

“I am alarmed and outraged by this . I urge the police to work double time to arrest the killers and unmask the mastermind,” said Pimentel.

“We are a peace-loving society and kill- ings of this nature must be stopped,” he added.

For his part, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the killing of Rotoras was “unacceptable and enraging.”

He said the death of Rotoras was a great loss not only to his family but to the entire education sector as well.

Pimentel said Rotoras was described by his co-workers and friends at the USTP as a “workaholic”.

Rotoras had served as head of the USTP since 2006 and was elected unopposed as president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges for the fourth consecutive term in July 2017.