Senators alarmed by recent slays

The killings of a Basilan mayor in Zamboanga City and a journalist in Samar within two days of each other have alarmed two senators who were worried that a pattern of unsolved murders could be a harbinger of lawlessness ahead of the 2022 elections.

“The blatant murders, including that of a journalist in Samar and the mayor and his aide in Basilan, once again cast a shadow of violence in our society that must be stopped,” Sen. Grace Poe said in a statement

“These unsolved crimes are not just sources of grave pain to the families and colleagues of the victims; they also undermine trust in our criminal justice system,” the senator said.

“When the killers face no costs for their actions, the pattern is bound to be repeated and will embolden lawlessness,” Poe said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan warned that next year’s elections could see a breakdown of law and order.

‘Tolerated impunity’

“If these murders go unpunished, the tolerated impunity could lead to the breakdown of law and order in next year’s crucial political exercise,” he said in a statement.

On Monday, Al-Barka Mayor Darussalam Lajid and his aide Farrad Nurrudin were killed in an ambush by gunmen on motorcycles on their way to a mosque in Zamboanga City.

On Wednesday, Manila Standard correspondent Jess Malabanan was gunned down by assailants in his home in Calbayog town in Samar.

Poe called on the authorities to “break the cycle of impunity of killings.”

“The protection of life and the promotion of peace and order are sacred obligations of the government to our people,” she said.

Pangilinan, on the other hand, said the government should be on the alert and take strong measures to prevent more politically motivated murders.