“Ni anhi mig Cebu nga parte sa Pilipinas, pero mura kog wala sa Pilipinas.”--Princess Navarro, sister of slain Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro
This is probably one great spiel to revive for Cebu’s tourism industry: “An island in the Pacific.” For, indeed, with all the bloody body count and unsolved crimes, we’re transported to a strange city. “Ce-Boom” simply takes a more convulsive meaning. Ten armed men in a van suddenly riddle you with bullets and breeze off without trace. Ce-boom, project complete.
Whatever happened to the “R&R” capital, beach and all, this cradle of Christianity?
Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro made the fatal mistake of engaging in a melee on the night of Oct. 23, 2019. As his version of the tale would go, a male massage therapist offended him over something and thus beat him up. The massage parlor personnel had their version as well. Whatever the full details were, it was a case of the mayor stepping into the limelight and exposing himself to what was probably a pending plot to exterminate him. That day, the incident had the misfortune of having no equal as far as media coverage was concerned; all eyes were on Navarro because there was no bigger news. Sunlight, as they say, is the best disinfectant. In less than 24 hours, faceless men hatched their plan. On the way to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings, Navarro was dragged out of a police car and shot in the head. The speed and efficiency with which the ambush was carried out only indicated proper training.
Recall the tale of Damocles and the sword. What was/were the sword(s) hanging over the head of Navarro prior to the ambush?
Cebu City Police Office Director Gemma Vinluan said the mayor’s family believes an organized group based in Ozamiz City was behind the killing. Navarro, it was said, earlier beefed up security at the town hall after getting death threats from the group.
Navarro, on the other hand, was reportedly on the eighth spot in President Rodrigo Duterte’s narcolist, a roster of politicians linked to illegal drugs. That list, time and again, comes out as a kill list no matter how government plays Pontius Pilate each time another list entry falls.
In the scheme of things, one statement is supposed to hit Cebu, perpetually selling itself in glossy brochures, where it hurts the most: “Mora kog wala sa Pilipinas.” True, who remembers Cebu with this much blood in her hands?
And it’s not solely because of the accumulated pile of unsolved killings, but the silence among citizens, its leaders, stakeholders. No outcry of sorts, no audible fury, no pushback against the spate of violence right at our doorstep, literally in fact for Councilor Antonio Cuenco because Navarro’s ambush exploded right outside his house gate.
There is the unsayable, but popular endorsement of these killings because it is the mad twin of the highly popular drug war. It isn’t hard to comprehend how costly would it be for politicians to dip a finger into the fray. But, really, this is a test of conscience for any leader worth his/her salt, both in government and private sector. In fact, a test for every Cebuano.
Princess Navarro, most unlikely of all guests, said it to our faces. Strange city, indeed.