Can three killings that occurred within hours of each other in the same day serve as gauge that Cebu City is “not so safe” anymore?
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña thinks so, after learning about the death of an armed man within the grounds of the Archbishop’s compound, the death of a child who got hit by a stray bullet in a botched anti-drug operation and the murder of a councilman with a dark past near a barangay hall.
While the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Cañedo appear to be an open and shut case, the deaths of three-year-old Bladen Skyler Abatayo and Barangay Kalunasan Councilman Ruel Mabano definitely need further investigation.
As per latest word, the boy’s father claimed that one of the police officers involved in the operation apologized to him after the incident. This even as police claimed that the police need not be investigated since they didn’t use any gun to fire at one of their targets who supposedly engaged in a pot session.
While the claim by the father and Abatayo’s neighbors that one of the policeman’s guns went off and killed the boy should be substantiated with evidence, the policemen involved in the operation should be asked whether precautions were taken to avoid what police would call as “collateral damage.”
Far too often, the police would rationalize that they have little to no control over how suspects would react or on the possible crossfire that may ensue between them and their targets.
In Abatayo’s case, the police could have planned out their operation better to reduce the incidence of collateral damage. They do know that they are going into an area where shanties are so close to each other that any shot could hit an innocent occupant.
This early there are doubts that the police will be held accountable for their botched operation if we go by the previous statements of President Rodrigo Duterte about standing by his people so long as they show they are merely “doing their job.”
If it’s any consolation, Mayor Osmeña offered some assistance to the Abatayo family but they need resolution for their plight which the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) will be hard pressed to fulfill.
As far as Mabano is concerned, the shock of seeing him executed in broad daylight through security camera footage is no assurance that justice will be forthcoming especially in light of questions about his service record.
So is Cebu City and Cebu province safe? Yes, but the police need to do a better job of conducting their anti-drug operations so there won’t be anyone hurt in the crossfire and perpetrators of summary executions are caught and brought before the bar of justice.