By: Villamor C. Visaya Jr.
(Published in its print edition on April 26 – May 2, 2025)
The abhorring culture of violence and killings pervade, no thanks to greed of power by the same people running the government.
This has been true with the ambush-slay of Rizal, Cagayan Mayor Joel Ruma, a 54-year-old young local chief executive, by a sniper while he was in a campaign rally in Illuru Sur village on April 23.
Even unwitting victims such as Merson Abiguebel, Ruma’s aide, and civilian Melanie Talay were hurt in the attack.
Even if the Cagayan Valley police have formed a task force composed of various units, no one has been arrested or identified as killers or masterminds.
It does not matter if the politician, like Ruma, has wronged the people who probably paid the sniper.
This comes into the mind of the February 19, 2023 ambush-slay of Aparri vice mayor Rommel Alameda and five of his companions by police uniform-wearing gunmen at the national road in Sitio Kinacao, Baretbet, Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya.
Until now, the case has barely been resolved despite the arrest of two alleged gunmen.
In the Philippines, about 1,500 killings or injuries of politicians in targeted assassinations have been recorded.
The deeply ingrained pattern has apparently been the norm of killings among political personalities and their rivals.
It is high time to put an end to senseless killings.#
