"Pogi," after graduating from his three term stint as the Mayor of Apalit town, is already hibernating from politics. Many believed that his recent sad fate has nothing to do with politics. His son predeceased him last year, when the younger Lacanilao was likewise shot to his death.
Like they often say when someone is mercilessly killed, life is too worthless to picture especially when a human body is seen bathing in his own blood. Human life is then compared to an animal butchered, usually to a chicken slaughtered and dressed. Murderers, assassins, triggermen always shoot their victims in the chest or in the head to "assure" an instantaneous death.
Art imitates life. Life imitates art. Murderers imitate action movies.
Those having the gall of denying mercy to their subjects seemed to mimic scenes from latest action starrers on screens and on the boob tubes. Their favorite style is shooting their victim at close range and their favorite murder weapon is the ever-reliable .45 caliber, a sure shot with its knocking and stopping power. Their favorite getaway vehicle - the single motorcycle in tandem with the driver.
Don't blame cops on the street flagging down those motorcycle riders. They're doing their job as a measure to somehow discourage would be assassins or stop those who just accomplished their mission pulling the trigger. Mostly of the motive of killing is silencing a possible whistleblower or a person who already knows too much or the more brutal is vendetta.
By way of coincidence, another politician who again grappled the limelight was Mayor Teddy Tumang of Mexico. I wonder why his detractors, implicated him anew in a killing incident that involved a former employee of that municipality last month in his own dwelling. I don't see even an iota of political angle with him. Though in his eternal rest now, Danilo "Dan" Lalu was never involved in politics. While he has been connected with the municipality as an electrician, during the time of the then former mayor Ernesto Punzalan, he does not touch anything with local politics nor does have inkling on it whatsoever. Those who have sharp double-bladed tongues are the ones to be blamed.
On early last year, retired Army Colonel Wilfredo Munar, who filed a case against the humble Mayor Tumang, likewise succumbed to bullet wounds and became a helpless prey to his killers. Many believed that it was likewise not motivated by politics since the man was said to have many nemesis of his own. In December also of last year, Mario Ramin, also a former employee of that municipality that used to be the seat of the underground government, met his death as he felled by assassin's bullets. Ramin was not likewise involved in any politics except to the fact that he was a former cook of the past Mayor's Office.
The three cases of killings, by sheer coincidence they happened, were "stitched" by some of those who tend to paint a picture and impute a wrong to the low-keyed Tumang. Abstract the picture may be, but I, like most of his constituents, do not perceive any connection of the killings with politics.
2010 elections may be far yet from being held, but the fact that Tumang has accomplished so much this early of his first and second of his term now are other reasons why he is being thrown at with profligate stones. Mudslinging may be premature but is apparent.
Tumang's meekness, down-to-earth attitude and humility negate any ounce of his involvement to the gruesome killing. I've known the man as a workhorse and the reason how developed the town is now. He brought forth great growth to Mexico as he slowly stepped up the ladder of his political career.
He would rather meet his detractors face to face rather than give them a treacherous throw. He will rather work for progress than make his detractors happy by attending to their ploys. I am not his defense lawyer but sparing him from incriminatory machinations and just working for the common good will do better. He won't waste time attending to negative propaganda and dirty tactics of his adversaries, much more so into back lashing them, it's not his personality to do so.
Today, his public service is at its best. Mexicanos who are tired of political squid tactics, are even pointing fingers at swashbucklers who are trying entangle his career with broken arrows. They are the ones and not Tumang who is really responsible for all of these killings, they say. Who knows?
