Published in Manila Standard Today
By Elizabeth Angsioco
This is not for the faint of heart.
Violence and criminality continued to make news the past week. From October 15 to 21, the following were reported by media:
1) Manila SPO2 Oscar Mariscotes, while talking to a neighbor, was repeatedly shot to death by two motorcycle-riding men in San Pedro, Laguna.
2) In Albay, construction worker Alfredo Largo, after drinking beer and having sex with “Kim” for P200.00, drowned her to death. Largo said “Kim” stole his P500.00. He said he paid for sex because his wife was seven months pregnant.
3) Sixty-four-year-old hairdresser Francisco Patawaran was shot dead inside his place of work. His belt bag where he put his earnings was missing.
4) Two thieves targeting commuters were killed after exchanging gunfire with the police in Binan City, Laguna.
5) In San Fernando, Camarines Sur, Barangay Captain Dakulang Tubig was shot dead between the eyes and shoulder by two unidentified men.
6) Marvin Herrera and Rico Ocampo were shot dead by neighbors in Pasig City for being too noisy during a drinking spree.
7) Italian priest Fr. Fausto Tentorio was fatally shot thrice by a gunman as the priest was boarding his vehicle in North Cotabato.
Three fourteen-year olds, third year high school students, Paul Bryan Villapa, Bryan Luna and Mike Sapili were gunned down in Balungao, Pangasinan. The students were walking home from attending a wake when they were shot to death using high-powered firearms.
9) During breakfast, drunk ex-seaman Emmanuel Ponce killed his wife, three, children, and maid before shooting himself in Talisay City, Cebu. Ponce has been for years violent and abusive against his wife who was the family’s breadwinner.
10) In Cagayan de Oro City, a drunk SPO1 Glenn Palugna repeatedly shot a group of minors. 17-year-old John Mark Arsenal was hit on his buttocks.
11) An 11-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The grade six pupil was drowned in the irrigation canal where she was found.
12) Jimmy Boy Maghari of Bacolod City died from repeated hacking by Jojo Pelarion, brother of his girlfriend. This happened when the two men had a misunderstanding while having a drinking bout.
13) PO1 Danson Banas was shot dead by his wife, another member of the city police PO1 Rowena Banas, in General Santos City. The circumstances surrounding the shooting were unclear.
14) In Manila, a former Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson was raped by two men when she slept over at a friend’s house after she and friends attended a wake the night before.
15) Walter Valdez, a dismissed Manila policeman, killed his 65-year-old mother, Warlita as she was doing the laundry. Valdez, kicked his seven-year-old daughter for failing to promptly obey him. Warlita got angry and a shouting match ensued before she went back to her laundry. After shooting his mother at the back of her head, Valdez allegedly also wanted to kill his two children who, together with his sisters, escaped. Valdez then shot himself in the head.
16) In Quezon City, graduating accounting student Jerome Wariner was repeatedly shot dead by two teenagers. The suspects, who were on a motorcycle, approached, talked with, and shot Wariner while he was drinking with friends.
17) Twenty-three-year-old tricycle driver Ronnie Rodriguez, drunk, repeatedly shot to death Robysita Sacramento after an argument because they accidentally bumped into each other in Binondo, Manila. Rodriguez was on his way to show his friends a “paltik” he bought.
18) Ryan Jay Manalang repeatedly stabbed to death his older brother Richard after a verbal altercation in their house in Tondo, Manila. The brothers have been known to be always fighting since childhood.
19) Taxi driver Edgar Mahusay was shot dead after being robbed inside his taxi in Valenzuela City.
20) Businessman Demeterio Larena III was repeatedly shot at close range inside his Pajero in Dumaguete City. Police could not say what the motive was for the killing.
21) An armed man roused businesswoman Percy Asis and her daughter from sleep and demanded P20,000.00 in cash. When Asis refused, the man snatched her 14-year-old daughter and fled using their family car. Later, the man demanded P100,000.00 in exchange for the daughter. Asis paid and got her daughter back.
22) Manila PO3 Ernesto dela Cruz was shot dead from behind by a lone gunman while the victim was collecting money from a client in Juan Luna St., Manila.
23) Luis Ang, a businessman was fatally shot pointblank as he was boarding his motorcycle in Tondo, Manila. The killer fled on a motorcycle with an accomplice.
24) PO1 Peter Enriquez was mauled and shot dead by four men in Bacoor, Cavite as he was conducting surveillance. The assailants used the victim’s gun to kill him.
25) 40-year-old Andrew Sinsoro was in critical condition after being repeatedly stabbed by his son-in-law Christian de Leon. De Leon was having a drinking spree in Caloocan City when he and Sinsoro had an argument over his being a drunkard. De Leon got a knife and stabbed his father-in-law.
26) Barangay Chairman Elvis Mariano of Bgy. Cabaruan, Quirino, Isabela was ambushed and killed as he was going to a blood letting activity. With him was barangay tanod Edgar Salatarin who was in critical condition.
27) In San Carlos City, Pangasinan, Bgy. Chairman Abraham dela Cruz was shot to death by unknown motorcycle-riding men as he was biking in Bgy. Mestizo Norte.
28) Jeepney driver Reynaldo dela Pena and passenger Paulo Castillo were killed by five hold-uppers in Zamboanga, Sibugay. Both were shot as Dela Pena refused to stop driving and Castillo attempted to grab one of the men’s guns. The men then proceeded to rob the other passengers before fleeing.
These make 39 crimes in total including those in my previous article. Twenty-eight of these cases happened within a period of one week – last week.
It appears like in our country, being noisy, accidentally bumping someone, going to wakes, not having enough sex, even staying in one’s home are reasons enough to get killed or be victimized by criminals.
These reported cases happened all over the country, in both rural and urban areas. While more reported cases happened in the cities, the number of those that happened in rural areas is still substantial.
There seems to be no stereotype in terms of the victims. At least three policemen were merely doing their duties, a few business persons, young and old, women and men, family members were killed by other family members, commuters, students, and criminals.
Of the 39 cases, at least 52 people were killed, 40 men and 12 women. At least nine minors were victimized. Four were accidentally hit by bullets, one sixteen-year-old girl and three males. At least two of them were in critical condition as of reporting time.
In at least 30 cases, guns and other high-powered firearms were used while in at least six cases, knives and/or bolos were the weapons. Two crimes involved drowning of victims, and in both, sex figured.
Thirty-seven of the crimes were committed by males and two by females.
Sadly, at least eight cases involved crimes committed by family members against their own wives, husbands, mothers, brothers, children, and in-laws. Some perpetrators victimized people who are in intimate relations with their family members. Still others involved neighbors.
I said in my previous piece that easy access to guns is a reason why criminality is on the rise. Admittedly however, guns are mere tools of crimes and this does not explain many aspects of criminality. The more complex problem is the existing and very strong “culture of violence” existing in our society.
These 39 cases prove that violence is deeply ingrained in our culture. I will deal with this in next week’s article.
eangsioco@yahoo.com