THE driver of the motorcycle that PO3 Eugene Calumba rode in tandem on, from which he fell after being shot by the driver-bodyguard of Tejero councilor Jessielou Cadungog, was an asset from Negros Oriental. His ID card was that of a group based in Negros. The alleged shooter himself was assigned in Negros for a number of years.
Now Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña alleges that a group of killers, including four cops, who recently arrived in the city is from, drum roll, Negros Oriental.
What's in the Negros PNP that trains this special skill on covert killing? Does Cebu have to "import" outside talent?
On the other hand, Negros might resent the tag "killers from Negros." Remember when Bohol bristled over the name "Bohol robbery gang" that Cebu media at one time coined?
A leakage or fabrication
The supposed warnings or tips that Mayor Osmeña alleges to be receiving from within the PNP, particularly in the Cebu City and Cebu region offices, are either from a leaker or a fabricator.
What is leaked is often true. What is fabricated, by the supposed leaker or the "leakee," is not.
'One can only weep over Cebu'
An August 13 column of Francisco S. Tatad, the press secretary during martial law, asks, "Is Cebu now a crime scene?"
Tatad in a long piece recited the series of killings in "this historically peaceful, serene and deeply religious Queen City of the south." All the bodies piling up, including those in the Carcar City ambush-slay of a PDEA agent and the foiled attempt on the life of a barangay councilor and former barangay captain and the scary intrusion by a man with a gun into the archbishop's residence.
Citing the recent entry of P6.5 billion worth of shabu through the Manila customs and its distribution across the country, including Cebu, Tatad said, "One can only weep over Cebu becoming the latest region in the country to be hit by this menace," that is the bad image of rampant criminality because the spate of murders blamed on the drug war.
Tomas, Junjun 'on their own'
Tatad noted in his Manila Times column that the city mayor and the governor, Junjun Davide, are "very much on their own" in keeping peace and order in Cebu.
Tatad said Tomas and Junjun are "not Du30's political allies or henchmen." Junjun, Tatad wrote, has a father, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. who is "actively campaigning against Du30's controversial federalism project" while Tomas "represents the biggest hindrance to the ambitions of Du30's subalterns who wish to seize control of the City Government."
No circling of wagons
Why have the mayors of Metro Cebu, especially Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City, and the governor of Cebu not rallied to one cause: stop the killings by solving the murders and prosecuting the offenders?
No circling of wagons, as leaders used to do in the past such as when they defended Junjun Davide against impeachment or opposed the Sugbo-ak moves to cut up the province into parts?
Why shouldn't there be a unison of voices protesting against the disruption of Cebu's peace and order?
Former mayor Mike Rama has a theory and he said it on radio Tuesday (August 14), "Gustong solohon sa usa." He must refer to Mayor Osmeña who has singlehandedly taken issue with the police on media.
'Enemy of Cebu'?
Mayor Tomas has called the PNP regional chief, Debold Sinas, as "enemy of Cebu" and tagged Sinas and Cebu City police chief Royina Garma as the cause of the series of killings here. The murders started when they took over, Osmeña alleged.
Tomas must mean "resumed" since, Rama reminded Erik S. Manait on dyCM, that the killings started in 2004 when vigilantes roamed the city and then mayor Tomas encouraged the killings by offering bounties to the police who gunned down crime suspects.
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