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Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Police not to blame for rash of murders: mayor
CEBU CITY -- The number of persons killed in vigilante-style attacks in Cebu City keeps rising but this has not alarmed Mayor Tomas Osmeña, even with criticisms from the Cebu Archdiocese and groups concerned with protecting human rights.
The mayor also does not believe that the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) probe means the police is inutile in solving the killings.
“No, I don’t think this means our police is inutile because you know, I’m not really committing all our forces to run after the killers. As a matter of fact, I’m happy some of those killed are robbers. I’m not ashamed to admit that,” he said.
Osmeña even wishes that all criminals in the city will be neutralized.
“To me, as long as there’s fewer robberies and snatching, it’s not so bad,” he said.
The Cebu City Police Office has recorded 94 persons who were summarily executed since last December 22.
A 28-year-old man survived a vigilante-style attack last Sunday night in Sitio Ibabao Proper, Barangay Mambaling, Cebu City.
Victor Panunci, who lives in the area, was treated for gunshot wounds in the left shoulder, back and right thigh at the Cebu City Medical Center.
The attack occurred barely 24 hours after suspected robber Esteban “Waway” Yapi was gunned down by a lone masked man on Legaspi St., Cebu City.
Records from the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center showed that Yapi was jailed six times for alleged petty crimes.
The attack on Panunci happened at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, while he was walking on his way home.
Two witnesses told homicide investigators led by Senior Police Officer 2 Zenaido Pastorfide that a lone gunman waylaid Panunci, pointed a gun at him while saying, “Ayaw palag, ha (Don’t fight back)!”
Panunci, who was caught off guard, failed to scamper for safety when the gunman shot him thrice.
He was immediately taken to the city hospital while the gunman fled towards N. Bacalso Avenue.
Homicide investigators, however, are looking into a personal grudge as a motive in the shooting after receiving reports that prior to the incident, one of Panunci’s neighbors had threatened to kill him.
At City Hall, the mayor said it’s good that Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. took cognizance of the killings and that the official asked the NBI to handle the probe, since he (Osmeña) is not keen in asking the police to do it.
“I think the one who will benefit the most from this investigation is (SPO1 Adonis) Dumpit because every time there’s a shooting, everyone points to him. The poor guy is not even here,” Osmeña said.
Dumpit, who once served as the mayor’s close-in aide, was blamed for the deaths of some suspected criminals who were killed vigilante-style in the last 10 months.
The policeman has gone on leave in his hometown in Davao, after the Court of Appeals issued last August a temporary restraining order on one-year suspension for the alleged shooting of a robbery suspect last year.
The vigilante-style killings started right after Osmeña announced last December that he is forming an elite police force to go after suspected criminals, to improve the city’s peace and order.
The 94th victim of summary execution, Yapi, was in and out of prison from 1990 to 1996.
He was first committed on Oct. 22, 1990 for theft and served until April 20, 1991.
Four months after, Yapi was behind bars again for the same offense and served from Aug. 17, 1991 to Jan. 17, 1992.
On Nov. 19, 1992, Yapi returned to prison for another theft case, serving the term up to Oct. 2, 1993.
Nine months later, he was sent to jail until Feb. 4, 1995 for sniffing rugby. Four days after his release, he was again re-arrested for the same offense. He was released on Sept. 4, 1995.
On March 22, 1996, Yapi was arrested for highway robbery. He was released on Nov. 16, 1996. (LCR/JST of Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(October 4, 2005 issue)
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