EDITORIAL — A blow to Bora

There is sad and shocking news from what can be considered one of the top tourist destinations in our country, the island paradise of Boracay.

Last March 12, the body of a 23-year-old Slovak tourist was found in an abandoned chapel on the island, two days after she had been reported missing. Police investigators believe she had been robbed, raped, and then killed with a blunt object.

Such a heinous crime shouldn’t take place anywhere, let alone Boracay, which enjoys the reputation of being safe for local and foreign tourists.

Tourism is one of those industries that are easily affected by incidents. It is the first industry to shrink because of any negative development and usually the last to recover. We don’t have to tell you that tourism is the main driver in that island, or that this rape and murder of a tourist is a negative development.

For this to happen in supposedly one of the safest and tourist-friendly places in the country is bound to have repercussions. From being a safe haven for tourists it may now be seen as a place where tourists have to be wary, or worse, a place to be avoided totally.

As of this writing, three men are being held in the case as persons of interest, and we aren’t pointing fingers yet because there haven’t been any developments. But unless the police solve this case with finality and successfully prosecute those who are guilty, we suspect tourists to the island will look over their shoulder more, avoid more activities, or even shorten their stays.

That’s if they want to go there anymore in the first place.

But possible loss of tourism is actually the smaller issue here; justice should be secured for the victim. She came here to be part of a friend's wedding, to have a good time, to experience our world-famous hospitality.

Unfortunately, she came across people who were not so hospitable and ended up dead.

We shudder to think about what she experienced during the last moments of her life.