Eleven in a row

The police in Negros Oriental have noted 11 killings within the week. Yes, 11 men, including a one-year-old baby, were brutally killed. Imagine the bloodshed that spanned days. I wouldn't blame the residents in the area if they fear for their lives, I'm even scared that I just live here in Cebu. I mean, I wouldn't want this to happen to our place too. My dream is to always live in peace and in harmony. Of course, who would want an environment where killings are rampant? I'd be a wreck and be full of trauma if that would have been the case in our place today.

The cases in Negros Oriental are isolated, they say. They occurred in different areas of the province and may have been because of various reasons. The way me and my colleagues see it, all victims have been identified with the New People's Army - including the lawyer who came from a hearing and was shot while on board his vehicle. There is no safe haven for now. Even the busiest highways are areas for blood to splatter. However the authorities are not confirming anything as of the moment and giving out the “under investigation” clause.

While the police in Central Visayas call this "normal", every ordinary citizen is already alarmed. There is no normal when people die every day. It is not normal to hear gunshots in broad daylight. It is never normal to kill. Although our society today is faced with inequality and the clamor for a better life, I always believe that everything can be talked over. There is a certain form of diplomacy when we discuss peace, rather than set the score through bullets and the number of people killed.

That is why I do not also agree to the revival of death penalty. While it may sound appealing as a way to get back at those who have wronged us, it would be very contrary to our label as the Christian county in Southeast Asia. It seems like our prayers have been out of hand, and that we need to pray for ourselves and the country. Death penalty will only make it worse. With a rigged justice system, a lot of innocent people are set to die. There is no difference like it is today.

How do we stop the killings? I don't know. Who should we ask then? The bishops? God? The president? It seems to be hopeless for now. We need people to be vigilant and to watch out who are doing these senseless killings and report them to the trusted authorities. We all deserve justice.