Season of impunity

WITH Christmas and the new year only a few days away, the overall mood should be festive and celebratory.
But with the spate of killings involving journalists and most recently, Zamboanga Del Sur Mayor Ukol Talumpa and his family members, and the close-range shooting of Caroline Fortun (Atty. Raymond Fortun’s wife, who luckily survived the ordeal)  it has become a season of impunity — striking fear in the hearts of citizens.
According to a report from Aksyon of News5, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas has instructed the officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to act immediately and bring these murderers to justice. He also advised the PNP to double its presence in crowded areas like airports, seaports, bus terminals, shopping malls, markets and churches.
As Christmas Day draws near, law enforcement has been put on heightened alert in Luzon and Visayas. More policemen have been deployed on the streets, with the PNP pledging not to go on holiday break, in order to keep the peace and ensure the safety and protection of citizens.
However, these efforts seem not to dampen the increasing crime rate.
PNP spokesman PS/Supt. Wilben Montemayor said that commanders on the ground have already been instructed to heighten security measures.
The PNP has also set-up a new system: they are now gathering data/reports from barangays and enforcement agencies.
Montemayor also advised the public to be wary of different types of modus operandi, which are usually rampant at this time of year.
In its annual round up, Paris-based freedom watchdog Reportes Sans Frontières or RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has listed the Philippines among “the five deadliest countries for media in 2013,” and cited motorcycle-riding gunmen as “the most common method of killing journalists,” as reported by Philstar.com.
The RSF cited Philstar.com’s editorial on this common method of killing: “The motorcycle has become the getaway vehicle of choice for the murderers of journalists and militants, robbers of banks and armored vans, and even petty snatchers. Most of the crimes are committed during daytime, when heavy traffic allows crooks on motorcycles to elude pursuing police cars.”
“Private militias, corrupt politicians’ thugs and contract killers continue to threaten and kill journalists with complete impunity,” the RSF said in its report.
RSF also noted that among the eight journalists killed in 2013 “less than 10 percent of these killings lead to convictions,” because “the judges are usually unable or unwilling to do their job.”
Vast improvements are clearly imperative, both in law enforcement and in the judicial system. Coddling this culture of impunity will only add to the public’s distrust of the government.
In order to hinder the proliferation of motorcycle-related crimes, the government should look into devising effective motorcycle safety regulations.
In 2012, Councilor Joel Chua of Manila’s 3rd District proposed several regulations “that seek to address the high incidence of road accidents and crimes involving motorcycles,” as reported by Inquirer.net.
Included in Chua’s draft ordinance was a regulation that requires “only one rider at a time be allowed on a motorcycle.” Motorcycle-riding criminals usually ride in tandem, in order to accomplish their mission.
It would be also good for the citizenry to exercise alertness and prudence at all times, especially during this holiday season, when public places (especially shopping malls and churches) become densely populated.
Remember that these motorcycle-riding gunmen/criminals are merciless when provoked, as evidenced by the random people who were wounded (an 18-month old child was killed as well) during the shooting of the Talumpas at NAIA Terminal 3.
(AJPress)