Wednesday, October 11, 2006 Barrita: ‘Shoot him’ By Eddie O. Barrita Small Bites
Four ex-convicts fell in cold blood in a rash of vigilante-style executions in Cebu City over the weekend.
A former dance instructor became the 175th victim.
As usual, police were nowhere in sight when the vigilantes attacked.
Isn’t it an uncanny coincidence?
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Broadcaster and Sun.Star columnist Bobby Nalzaro was linked to the death of Dante de la Torre, who was convicted for robbing Bobby’s car.
Nalzaro was the “mastermind,” says Mildred Torres, Dante’s live-in partner, because she heard him lambasting her live-in partner two days before the attack.
It can’t be Bobby.
It could only mean both Torres and the vigilantes listened to his broadcast.
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Mayor Tomas Osmeña says police may shoot the jeepney driver who stabbed a traffic enforcer if he “resists arrest and if he is armed.”
“Shoot him” and “maybe you’ll get more (cash reward),” he says. And it’s a cool P100,000.
Here’s the rub. Won’t this pot tempt police to dust off some old script?
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Traffic enforcers packing guns?
A gun, experience shows, can maim or cost innocent lives even in the hands of highly trained police marksmen or hooded vigilantes.
Think of untrained enforcers.
Can you imagine a spat between an enforcer and a driver or motorist literally ending with a bang?
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Adding guns to the frayed nerves and chaos in the city’s streets can be explosive.
The Cebu City Traffic Operations and Management should instead teach enforcers basic courtesy and ban abusive and unruly drivers and motorists from the streets.
