Wednesday, October 11, 2006 Editorials: When will the murders shock the community?
ONE hundred seventy five murders in Cebu City and still counting.
When do the killings shock us to cry, Enough! Or will we become so numb that one more victim is just a number?
Look around to see who among those distressed by extra-judicial executions are still standing and protesting.
The Catholic Church and other churches that value human life, even the sinner's life. Lawyers and judges who uphold due process of law and criminal justice sytem.
Non-government groups that worry about the threat on our democratic structure and ineptness of a government that can't protect its citizens.
Journalists who by values and training loathe oppression and injustice. Lovers of peace and order who expect police to keep the peace and enforce order in accordance with law.
Crusaders against violence: Aren't killings of defenseless people heinous enough?
The ordinary citizens: Are they so fed up with police bungling they don't care about the killings except when a loved one is gunned down?
Unabated crimes
If it has come to that, blame the police and other law enforcers. Blame officials led by the mayor who think crime can be stopped by crime and top police work is not the option.
And blame apathy. The business persons whose indifference is disconcerting, and all others who believe wrongly the murders will send robbers and burglars fleeing the city.
Impunity has not worked. Executions have gone on for more than two years now with the city still not safe from crime.
Mayor Osmeña’s responsibility
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has admitted inspiring vigilantism and has refused to impress upon the police the urgency of ending the murders.
He pays lip service to his oath of office to enforce the law but everything else he says or does tells the public he won't do anything about the executions.
Unless assassins kill themselves (one reportedly shot himself in the foot but that immobilized him only briefly), the mayor is not going to hasten the butchers' exit.
The police love the arrangement and the lack of accountability. What easier way to cloak inefficiency and failure?
And no one will go to the ombudsman to compel officials to do their job. Fright or unconcern of those who have a stake in our way of life is dismaying.
We don't deserve this but there it is. At least, we know on whose slate each killing must be recorded.
