Cebu city's vigilante killings: Victim count reaches 165

It's now 165 and maybe still counting as the police continue to face the proverbial blank wall in their investigation on the vigilante-style killings in Cebu City.

The 165th victim was shot dead yesterday, ironically, right outside one of the city's main Catholic cemeteries where he plied his trade making tombstones.

The latest victim is 42-year-old Benjamin Raganas of barangay Carreta, sustained gunshot wounds on his head and body. Raganas, single, reportedly had no previous record according to the police.

Attending physicians at the Cebu City Medical Center pronounced him dead on arrival.

Witnesses told Homicide investigator SPO1 Jay Aballe that Raganas was busy making a tombstone on the sidewalk near corner General Maxilom and M.J. Cuenco Ave. at about 9 a.m. when he was shot.

Two people riding tandem on a motorcycle stopped in front of him then the backrider pulled out a gun and shot the victim several times.

The assailant even fired one more shot even if Raganas was already slumped on the pavement.

The killers fled towards Lorega San Miguel.

One Jojo Castro, who was standing nearby when the incident happened, told police investigators that when the assailant of Raganas pulled his firearm, he noticed a handcuff and a holster on the man's waist.

Responding police investigators recovered four empty caliber .45 shells. They were however already placed on the table owned by the victim by bystanders when the police came.

While the body count continues to steadily increase, Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio, Jr. yesterday admitted that there is no development so far in the investigation into the vigilante killings in Cebu City.

Alarcio said that no witnesses are coming out to identify the perpetrators of the crimes.

Alarcio has ordered acting Cebu City Police Office director Supt. Melvin Gayotin, to look into reports that a policeman might have been involved the most recent killing.

The regional police chief however said that not everyone who has a holster and handcuffs is a policeman.

"Very speculative pa 'yan dahil ang posas is readily accessible," Alarcio said.

He added that the people behind the vigilante killings can only be prosecuted if there are witnesses, who can help them in the investigation. He added that he is not worried that a group wanted to raise the issue in vigilante killing in Cebu City to international group.

He said that the police are really doing their job to investigate the killings.

The unsolved killings in the country, including the spate of vigilante-style executions in Cebu, have alarmed officials of the Commission on Human Rights.

The CHR said the unsolved summary executions in the country might affect the membership of the Philippine in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The series of vigilante-style killings started in December 2004 and the victims are mainly those people who have criminal records.