KILLINGS IN CEBU THE NEW NORMAL?

LET’S COOL IT, PAUSE, TAKE A CLOSER LOOK. AND YES, WHO CAN BE OUR PEACEMAKER?

THE RASH OF KILLINGS IN CEBU HAS FOR SOME TIME BEEN ABNORMAL.

That bloody Thursday, Oct. 4, when 16 people were killed in 17 hours just highlighted the intensity of the police campaign. Is it alarming? Depends on where you sit and your interests lie. If you’re the police or a politician or businessman who is not affected by the pile-up of bodies, nothing to fuss about. If you’re concerned about erosion of values and institutions and growth of the culture of impunity, the unsolved killings must be worrisome.

HAVE WE BECOME “A CRIMINAL CITY” OR A “MURDER PROVINCE”? MAYBE NOT.

the killings are limited to drug suspects has been stretched and snapped.

How come innocent people are also killed? “Collateral damage” has been added to the argument. Laws are bent or violated. It has come to a point that a number of law enforcers, abetted by some cheering from the public, no longer consider a crime the killing of drug traffickers and even users. The killing of innocent bystanders

IT IS SERIOUS CONFLICT OF INTEREST, EVEN INCONGRUOUS, FOR POLICE TO INVESTIGATE KILLINGS WHERE THE POLICE ARE ALSO SUSPECTS?

How can the result of the inquiry be different from what police officials already said at the start: that police were not involved? How can witnesses sustain their initial claim that they were arrested, abducted and shot at by police? The police can then say again, Where’s your evidence?

UNFORTUNATELY, THE NOISE HAS COME MOSTLY FROM POLITICIANS WHO ARE ALREADY AT ODDS WITH THE POLICE.

Other public officials need to be heard and, even better, lead an impartial group of leaders who can moderate the talk with the police.

TOP POLICE OFFICIALS HAVE TO DO MORE THAN REPEATEDLY INSIST THEY’RE INNOCENT AND FOLLOWING THE LAW.

A series of questionable incidents – the fiascos involving the aborted attempt to kill a barangay councilor, the murder of a PDEA agent in Carcar and now the Malubog multiple killings – should prompt the local PNP to use a different tack. Increasing distrust of the public in their police has to be stopped and nurtured back to what it was.

Police can start by turning over the investigation and custody of witnesses to the NBI.

POLICE BASHING MAY LEAD TO SOME CHANGES IN POLICY IN THE WAR ON ILLEGAL DRUGS.

But it could also make the police dig in and fight back and set off more violent incidents. Also, the matter could be out of their hands; they merely implement what the top commanders order.

WHERE IS CEBU’S NEW PEACEMAKER? A LEADER WHO CAN LEAD THE TALKS FOR THE POLICE TO RESUME THEIR NORMAL WORK OF KEEPING LAW AND ORDER?

Apparently, debating with PNP officials in the media won’t work. The Cebu City mayor may no longer be effective after the public thrashing by the President. He can fight but he cannot mediate. The crisis needs a mediator like the late Cardinal Ricardo Vidal.