SAN ANTONIO, Nueva Ecija , Philippines – Mayor Arvin Salonga yesterday slammed the local police for the massacre of four family members here Wednesday which came three days after the imposition of the total gun ban of the Philippine National Police.
Salonga said the incident was a rude awakening for law enforcers to strictly implement the policy, particularly against lawless elements who might take advantage of the crackdown against firearms to sow terror in the communities.
“It’s saddening. We are supposed to have a total gun ban policy in force yet the shooting to the death of four persons were committed in wild abandon and with impunity,” said Salonga, president of the Nueva Ecija chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.
Salonga was referring to the cold-blooded gunslaying Wednesday morning of Marcela Galicia, her son Mark Anthony, his wife Cecilia and their only child Aceel.
Several spent shells from a 9mm caliber were found at the murder scene.
Salonga condemned the killings and urged the PNP to work for the immediate solution of the crime and to bring the perpetrators before the bars of justice.
“We condemn in the strongest terms these killings. At the same time, we call on the police to fully implement the total gun ban aimed at preventing more incidents of these kind from happening again,” he said.
Prior to the incident, Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson raised questions about the efficiency of the total gun ban policy and the assignment of only two police security escorts to politicians which could make them sitting ducks to hardened criminals and lawless elements.
House Deputy Majority Leader Juan Edgardo Angara also observed that the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines appear to be guarding only the politicians but not the rogue elements in society. – Manny Galvez