PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said on Monday, February 27, 2023, that the spate of killings of local government executives is not considered alarming yet, stressing these were isolated cases.
“I would say so na hindi pa alarming kasi dini-determine nga natin dahil iba-iba ‘yung mga situation, iba-iba ‘yung mga reason bakit pinatay itong mga ito. Sabi ko nga eh it's either political, personal, business rivalry or other reason why these killings are happening,” Azurin said in an interview with reporters in Camp Crame in Quezon City,
“Incidentally siguro or accidentally, it just so happened they are in public service,” he added.
Three local government officials were ambushed in separate incidents a span of seven days-- Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. on February 17; Aparri, Cagayan Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda on February 19; and Ohto Montawal on February 22.
Of the three, Alameda was killed.
Azurin said investigators already have leads on these cases particularly on the identification of the suspects.
He said they are looking into the filing of charges against the suspects in Adiong’s ambush within the week.
These incidents prompted Azurin to order the conduct of risk assessment in local government officials.
The top cop said that so far, no politician has contacted the police about possible risk to their lives.
“We are hoping na mapabilis nga itong threat assessment so that we would know whether to provide additional security sa kanila or status quo muna kung ano ‘yung present security na nakadetail sa kanila,” he said.
(We are hoping to speed up this threat assessment so that we would know whether to provide additional security to them or status quo.)
On Sunday morning, the chairman of Barangay San Carlos in Lipa City, Batangas, Vivencio Pal, was killed by unidentified assailants.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez called on officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and PNP for an emergency meeting as he expressed alarm over the recent spate of high-profile crimes across the country.
Romualdez said he wants to know how the DILG and the PNP are addressing such heinous crimes, which appear to be politically related.
“The way it looks, mukhang pulitika ang motibo sa mga ambush kamakailan dahil mga politicians ang biktima,” Romualdez said.
“We will ask the police and the DILG, saan ang problema? Intelligence ba? Paano makakatulong ang Kongreso sa paglutas ng mga krimeng ito?” he added.
Azurin said he will attend the meeting.
He noted that from January 2023, murder cases, in particular, are on a downward trend as compared to the number of such cases during the same period in 2022.
Azurin said there was a decline in peace and order indicators, particularly index crime, which dropped by 19.49 percent from 6,141 in January to February 25, 2022 to 4,944 in 2023 of the same date.
“I had been reporting every week na sabi ko nga pababa ang crime environment sa ating bansa. Unfortunately there are isolated killings na nangyayari sa iba't ibang mga elected or appointed government officials natin,” said Azurin.
“Although personally I would say na these are isolated cases but still these are killings that is needing to be solved and to be pursued by our law enforcement agencies in investigating ano ba ‘yung puno't dulo or ano ba ‘yung mga motibo ng pagpatay sa kanila (what is the cause, or what are the motives for killing them),” he added.
Azurin said he also ordered police field units to intensify their operations against organized crime and gun-for-hire groups in a bid to stop the violence in the country. (SunStar Philippines)