MEDIA reports on recent killings in Cebu City have one detail that stands out – that the killers reloaded their weapons to shoot again at their targets without fear of running out of bullets.
They peppered their defenseless target with bullets and, as if to make sure the person is dead, they reloaded and emptied another round at him.
This was the case in the killing Friday of Art Stephen Bas, 23, Barangay Lagtang councilor and grandson of Talisay City Councilor Arturo Bas. The victim was in his Ford Everest car, on his way to school around 8 a.m., when one of the gunmen shot the vehicle, got off his motorcycle to shoot closer the victim who was in the driver’s seat, reloaded his gun, and fired more shots. A second assailant on the other side of the car also fired numerous shots. The Bas family noted the “brutal and merciless manner” in which the barangay councilor was killed.
On the same day, three inmates on their way to a court hearing were killed when the prison vehicle they were in was stopped by several assailants who apparently waited in ambush. As the vehicle passed the road some 300 meters from the Talisay City Jail, the attackers came out from the sides to fire. Again, numerous shots were fired and bullet casings were strewn all over the area. All three inmates died while the two jail guard escorts were not harmed.
One of the inmates who was killed had alleged links to slain drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, police said.
What kind of killers are these who do not bother to save on bullets or even attempt precision in shooting and who riddle the target’s body with bullets to make sure he is a goner? One who has the money or a backer, and has more than enough supply of bullets. One who is not new to killing. Definitely not one of the street corner assassins who could be paid P5,000 or less to kill someone.
Those behind the recent killings probably have kill fees that run up to five or six figures.
That’s an aspect that investigators could look into when determining who might have ordered those killings.
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The SunStar website at www.sunstar.com.ph has come up with a series of articles on national issues in time for President Rodrigo Duterete’s address before the nation tomorrow, Monday.
The first part was on how government officials were axed for alleged corrupt practices, only to be rehired later for a different government position.
The second part showed how, in the Cebu City Jail, the congestion rate has reached 868 percent or 5,070 persons based on Bureau of Jail Management and Penology records. Jail congestion is traced to “the government’s relentless crackdown on illegal drugs and crime coupled with the agonizingly slow resolution of cases.”
The third and last parts are on the anti-tambay campaign and the alleged economic fallout from government policies.
To catch the series, go to www.sunstar.com.ph and click on the special report items or the banner on “Duterte Watch.”