Who can give and take away life? It is only the Maker of life — the Almighty God, who is the giver of all.
But criminals are acting like God. Like when Police Officer Jay Carpintero was gunned down by unknown assailants.
He was an off-duty police officer, riding his motorcycle with his wife, a public school teacher, as back rider. This is a common sight in our City, ordinary working people who eke out a living, going about their ordinary lives, taking care of their families, taking and fetching loved ones from their places of work or study, using the motorcycle, the most popular mode of transport here.
Why was the killing of a police officer more chilling that the previous 18 unsolved killings along the City roads, using motorcycles or “riding in tandem”?
There’s an observation that the killers of Carpintero did not have a ready motorcycle as get-away vehicle. They shot one young male motorcycle rider who refused to give in; and they were successful in carnapping the vehicle of the next lady driver.
However, the police should take a second look at the sequence of events because the killers could not have reached the scene of the crime without a ride or back-up vehicle.
The military precision in which they executed their criminal act, their contingency plan, speaks of experienced perpetrators, exhibiting a deeper and more complex problem than what was just obvious to the naked eye.
It also shows a breakdown of the intelligence network, and the vulnerability of our security officers themselves.
One radio caller expressed our collective worry succinctly: “If these criminals can even shoot a police officer [in public], who could be next?!”
This is a statement that should call the utmost attention not only of our security officers, but of all who are tasked to implement measures to keep “peace and order” in the City.
It is heartwarming to know that many civic- minded people responded to the needs of the young family of the fallen police officer and his wife, who is still recovering in a local hospital. What will happen to their young children?
The writing in on the wall: there is a genuine threat existing in the City.
Apparently, the incident is connected to the perpetrators of the failed Agencia Belen heist, wherein the robbers used long firearms. Is it true that their gangpoint man was gunned down by police last week?
There is a need to look more closely at the alleged reported plot to rob a bank in Dumaguete City or some other big crime, because most people opined the City itself is unprepared.
Do we even have coordination with other police/intelligence agencies in the country?
In the United States, they have an unwritten code known by all the citizenry and criminals: “You kill an FBI agent/officer, you are good as dead!”
Do we have a similar honor code here? Or are our security officers sitting ducks?
This police-killing incident is big and should be of utmost priority, or heaven forbid, people will just wake up to shattering news of another heinous crime perpetrated by a more sophisticated criminal group, with long arms, and military-type operation against our security officers, who are sworn “to serve and protect”!
Author’s email: [email protected]
