Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. NINO JESUS ORBETA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III condemned in the “strongest terms” on Sunday the killing of University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) president Ricardo Rotoras and described it as a “dastardly act”.
Pimentel asked the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to exhaust all efforts to quickly arrest the suspects and its mastermind.
“I am alarmed and outraged by this latest attack on our law-abiding and dedicated public servants. I urge the police to work double time to arrest the killers and unmask the mastermind,” Pimentel, who was also from Cagayan de Oro, said in a statement.
“We are a peace-loving society and killings of this nature must be stopped. The police must do its job to protect and secure the people against rouge elements of society,” said Pimentel.
“The Filipino people is seeking swift justice for the victim, who is described by his co-workers and friends at the USTP as a ‘workaholic,’” Pimentel added.
The senator noted that Rotoras was a “big loss” to the people of Cagayan de Oro where he had served as USTP president since 2006. Rotoras was also elected as the president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges for the fourth consecutive term.
Rotoras was repeatedly shot early Saturday morning outside his house in Glow North Subdivision in Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. He was declared dead on arrival at the JR Borja General Hospital. /cbb