EDITORIAL - Brazen attack

Several months ago, Mayor Antonio Halili got himself and his city of Tanauan in the news after he began parading around the city center’s streets drug suspects including several of those who had registered as drug personalities under Oplan Tokhang. Amid the concerns raised over human rights violations, Halili said he would not stop his “Walk of Shame.”

Yesterday, as he was singing the national anthem together with other city personnel during the Monday morning flag ceremony at the city hall grounds, a shot rang out. Halili managed to take a few steps before slumping to the ground with a fatal gunshot to his chest.

Probers said the shot was fired apparently from a clump of foliage several meters away. Because of the enemies Halili made as mayor, police must cast a wide net to pin down his killer. Halili came under fire for depriving drug personalities of due process and violating their rights as detainees. At the same time, however, President Duterte said yesterday that Halili himself was into illegal drug deals – a charge that was hurled against the mayor even when he was conducting his “Walk of Shame.”

The brazen attack on a mayor, during a gathering at city hall where there are police and private security guards, is an indictment of the peace and order situation in Tanauan, one of the big cities of Batangas. If the city’s chief executive couldn’t be safe, how much more ordinary folk?

Brazenness has in fact characterized other killings in recent months, thanks to the ease by which guns are obtained in this country. Motorcycles also offer a convenient way of getting away quickly, with helmets ensuring anonymity even if an area is surrounded by closed-circuit television cameras.

Combined with the general weakness at every step of the criminal justice system, it is easy to believe that in this country, one can get away with assassinating the mayor during Monday morning flag ceremony at city hall. Dispelling that belief is the challenge now faced by law enforcers.

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