Unsolved killings continue
CALBAYOG CITY- The apparent relentless killings involving barangay officials of this city have stalked fear among them to the extent some have expressed their desire to step down from their posts.
But Mayor Ronald Aquino appealed to them not to quit from their posts as he instead asked them to work together to help him end the killing incidents.
The recent victim of these killing incidents involving a barangay official of the city was Roberto Gacelos, chairman of Barangay San Jose who was gunned down last November 15 by still unidentified armed men.
Incidentally, a police detachment is located 100 meters away from where Gacelos was murdered.
A staff of Mayor Aquino, Joe Patrick Lentejas, was also shot to death five days later by still unidentified suspects.
It was learned that before they were murdered both Gacelos and Lentejas received death threats.
Because of these series of incidents, some village leaders have expressed their fears and wanted to resign from their positions to avoid being targeted.
“I don’t know why all these senseless killings are happening in our city and I don’t know for how long we will continue to live in fear,” a village official, who asked not to be named, said.
“We are appealing to our police authorities to do something to end these senseless killings. All we want is to live in peace,” the official added.
Mayor Aquino asked barangay officials of the city not to give up as he asked them to help him solve the killing incidents hounding Calbayog for years now.
“It is so shocking and sad. But I want you not to give up this battle. Let us not be discouraged from serving our city,” he said.
The series of killings that have transpired in Calbayog were blamed to private armed groups reportedly maintained by certain politicians.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)
