EDITORIAL - Police no longer in control?

Clarin, Misamis Occidental, mayor David Navarro first made the headlines when he allegedly beat up a massage parlor worker in Cebu City last Thursday for failing to assign him a masseuse. Now he makes headlines again after he was shot dead a day later while being taken to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for inquest proceedings.

The mayor was dragged out of his vehicle and shot dead in broad daylight in the street by masked men with long and short firearms who were waiting for his convoy to pass.

You cannot blame the public for suspecting something fishy. The armed men knew what time to expect the mayor. They knew most of the police escorts would be in the first car of the convoy, which they let pass. They knew the mayor would be in the second car.

As per testimony of the mayor’s sister, Navarro’s police escorts in the second immediately complied with the armed men’s orders to lay low or take cover as they grabbed the mayor --who happened to be seated between two more police escorts-- dragged him out and shot him.

Then, just like that, his killers drove off and vanished into Cebu City afternoon traffic, which usually gives most of the driving and riding public a headache.

The fact that Navarro was allegedly included in the narco list released by the government adds to the suspicion that he was killed under the same orders that have sealed the fate of mayors and other politicians suspected of being involved in drugs.

However, until proof comes out to substantiate anything, all allegations will be just speculation. This early, while the investigation is still ongoing, it will be grossly unfair to our policemen to immediately claim they are in cahoots with whoever was responsible for killing the mayor.

What is clear is that police seem to be losing control of the peace and order situation in the city, what with armed men being able to stop a police convoy, snatch a target from right out of their hands, then snuff the life out of him as lawmen and relatives watched.

Even if it is proven they had no involvement in the mayor’s death, this incident will give the already-battered image of the police another black eye. The police now have two important missions to attend to; to solve this murder and step up security in the city’s streets.