Murder by numbers

EDITORIAL

It had become an almost daily occurrence for people to get killed in the Philippines. But this has become more pronounced under this administration wherein thousands of people were slain as a result of the government’s drug war.

Aside from the daily murders due to common crimes, politicians, journalists and members of the so-called Left are getting killed. The latest was Randy Malayao who was slain inside a bus in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya on Wednesday. To date, the culprit has not yet been found.

Political violence is also on the rise. Candidates are getting killed with their opponents as suspects.

Most people may dismiss political violence as personal feuds, and there are those who think the country is a better place when politicians kill each other. Using murder to eliminate political rivals, however, weakens the democratic process. During elections, murder is the ultimate form of cheating and undermines voters’ will.

Feuding between political rivals can also cause serious collateral damage. In November 2009, 32 media workers were among the 58 people massacred together with relatives of Esmael Mangudadatu on orders allegedly of the Ampatuan clan. Mangudadatu had planned to challenge the Ampatuans’ stranglehold on Maguindanao politics and had sent his wife and other relatives to file his certificate of candidacy, accompanied by journalists.

During election season, a murder toll of about 80 is considered normal in this country. Some cases are solved but most are unsolved. Despite police investigations, the killing spree is on while people try to live normal lives.