Pubdate: Wed, 01 Feb 2006
Source: Sun.Star Cebu (Philippines)
Copyright: 2006 Sun.Star
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1690
Author: RHM, KNR
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Summary+Execution (Summary Execution)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

TOMAS 'NOT SAD' ABOUT CEBU CITY MURDERS; NBI HAS 'MATERIAL EVIDENCE,
NO WITNESSES'

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena is not proud of the vigilante killings
but said, "I'm not exactly sad when a criminal gets shot."

He made the statement when sought for his comment on reports that the
Archdiocese of Cebu already finds it "useless" to approach and ask him
to do something about the unsolved murders.

"There is too much emphasis on saving the criminal from the vigilantes
as opposed to saving the ordinary Cebuanos from the criminals. Where
do we draw the line?" the mayor said.

Dosage

"It is a question of dosage," he said, admitting that City Hall cannot
just stop the investigation into the vigilante-style killings since
city officials are duty-bound to uphold the law.

But that does not mean "making it difficult for our policemen to react
aggressively because it's going to be bad also," Osmena said.

Cebu Archbishop Ricar-do Cardinal Vidal, according to archdiocesan
media liaison officer Msgr. Achilles Dakay, wants the NBI to take a
look into the 116 unsolved vigilante-related murders since Dec. 22,
2004.

"The technical component of the investigation is in place. We have the
autopsy reports, the shells and the recovered slugs.

But these have absolutely no value whatsoever in the absence of a
credible witness," said NBI Regional Director Medardo de Lemos in an
interview yesterday.

One Witness

"All we need is one witness to help identify the gunmen. When we
recover the firearm and match it with the technical evidence, then we
solve one case or a series of cases," he said.

He said the bureau is willing to take into protective custody those
who have information regarding the killings that have been linked to
members of the PNP.

The NBI, with its three-man panel comprising supervising agent Ermie
Monsanto and agents Greg Algoso and Rey Villordon, has been collating
data on all vigilante-related killings in Cebu since January 2005.

The panel was created upon de Lemos' directive. The late NBI chief
Reynaldo Wycoco also issued a similar order last year.

Mayor Osmena said he cannot allow criminals in the city to relax and
for authorities to hold the false belief that it is already okay not
to operate against them.

He reiterated his earlier suggestion for criminals to get out of Cebu
City so vigilantes will no longer prey on them.

"And when some of them get killed or blown away, the others
(criminals) get out of here. So it relieves me also of that kind of
pressure of trying to protect the citizens and I'm happy if they move
out of here," he said.

It is actually a "win-win solution," the mayor said.

Two brothers, one of whom was allegedly involved in the illegal drug
trade, were killed by suspected vigilantes in Barangay Lorega-San
Miguel last Sunday.

Asked whether it bothers him that Cebu City is already being compared
with Davao City, where vigilantes also go after suspected criminals,
the mayor was unclear in his position.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said. 
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MAP posted-by: Tom