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Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Editorial: Cadavers mostly criminals
A TOP police official declared Tuesday that most of the cadavers found in different parts of the city are those of criminals. Some of these victims were reportedly known criminals, hoodlums, thieves, drug pushers and those who have been in and out of jail.
Compared to Davao City, which has an average of some five salvage victims in a day, the figure in this city is a little small -- or so it is said.
This being so, the series of killings must strike terror in the hearts of criminals in the city. In fact, another story we had is that crimes have reportedly dropped in the city in the past few months.
The only problem with the recovery of cadavers in the city is that the City Government is now in a quandary as to where the 38 unclaimed cadavers at the Villa Funeral Homes will be buried.
Caretakers of cemeteries in the city proper have opposed the mass burial of these cadavers. Relatives have not claimed these cadavers, and most of them remain unidentified.
So although the torture and eventual killings have been systematized, the manner of disposition of the bodies is still crude.
The problem lies in the fact that most of the bodies are unidentified. If these are unidentified, how then can their killers know that they are criminals and the like?
The most that the death squad should do is to ensure that the relatives should be given back the remains of their sons, brothers or fathers after their lives have been snuffed out.
The failure of the authorities to instill law and order in the country should not be a reason to "Talibanize" the city and the country.
In a supposedly free society like ours, the individual is free to live and die in the manner of his choice.
Why do we criticize the Talibans when we are "Talibanizing" ourselves these days?
(September 24, 2003 issue)
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