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Saturday, November 12, 2005
Witch-hunt, Tomas says
For Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, holding a congressional inquiry on the unsolved vigilante killings will simply be a “witch-hunt” and not in aid of legislation.
He did not categorically say, however, that he will not show up if summoned, but does not believe the House probe is intended to discover the truth about the killings.
He even joked that local reporters will be able to ask more meaningful questions from him than members of the House committee on human rights led by Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, because “this is a local issue.”
Not needed
Instead of proposing a House inquiry, Rep. Raul del Mar suggested to Rosales to just wait for the reports of the National Bureau of Investigation, the police and the Cebu City Council.
“I’m not convinced yet that it’s needed unless they can show and they can convince us that a congressional investigation will do something more than what is already being done,” said del Mar (Cebu City, north).
Del Mar also said it was unfair of Rosales to insinuate that Mayor Osmeña is involved in the killings or is encouraging these.
As of last Thursday, the number of persons summarily executed already reached 103. Paulino Ybañez of Gil Tudtud, Mabolo, Cebu City was gunned down while walking along P. Burgos and Jereza Sts. Thursday night.
Constituents
When they discuss the matter this Monday, del Mar said he will ask Rosales to clarify the statements she made against the local authorities, fearing that the other legislators would misunderstand her.
Rosales, interviewed over radio dyRF yesterday morning, pointed out that those gunned down were also del Mar’s constituents, in the same way that they were hers as party-list representative.
Rosales said she requested for a manifestation to conduct a congressional inquiry on the extrajudicial killings in Cebu last
Wednesday, but this was deferred so that representatives from the district could interpellate.
In the meantime, her manifestation was submitted to the House committees on human rights and good government.
“Nothing should stop the House probe. If we work together and if the leadership of the house believes in democracy, due process and justice, we should go on with it,” Rosales said.
She also said it would be good if Mayor Osmeña can attend.
“He is the chief executive. We should invite him as a resource person to shed light (on these killings), so we can find out why the local enforcement agencies such as the police have not done anything about it, according to what was reported by the media and the IBP chapter,” Rosales said.
Listen
In a separate interview, Rep. Antonio Yapha (Cebu, 3rd district) said he will support Rosales’ move for a House inquiry.
Interviewed by the same radio station, Yapha said he is against vigilantism because criminals still have rights.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama, meanwhile, said there is nothing wrong with a House inquiry if it is indeed intended to uphold human rights. However, Congress should first listen to Cebu City congressmen and the Cebuanos if they are for or against vigilantism.
Rama said vigilantism will not solve the problem on criminality, because as long as there is poverty, there are always robbers who will prey on the populace.
The Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), meanwhile, appealed to media to rectify its reports tagging Cebu City as a “murder city.”
Banners
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, former RPOC chairman, also urged media to place crime reports in the inside pages of the newspapers and not as banners.
Department of Trade and Industry 7 Director Asteria Caberte proposed a resolution appealing to media to tone down their reporting without compromising the quality of information.
In the same RPOC meeting, Supt. Lani-o Nerez, Police Regional Office 7 deputy director for operations, said the crime volume from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 reached 11,264.
However, Nerez said the peace and order situation is “manageable.”
Cebu City Councilor Procopio Fernandez also expressed his concern about Cebu City being tagged as a “Murder City,” because this will put off people from neighboring provinces and those from abroad to come to Cebu.
In an interview yesterday, del Mar said he still condemns the killing of suspected criminals, because even criminals have the right to due process.
He has no qualms about criminals being shot in the course of a shootout where the rules of engagement are strictly followed by law enforcers.
If Rosales wants an investigation, del Mar said it does not have to be a House inquiry, because as chairperson of the committee on human rights, she can come to Cebu City and inquire from the authorities.
“I can even facilitate her meetings with the police and the council if she only wants to know what is being done,” he said. (LCR/RHM/MEA/AAG)
(November 12, 2005 issue)
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