Concerned Citizens of Cagayan de Oro staged their protest
march against alarming incidence of crimes in the city on March 17, 2013. The
march started at the Rodelsa Circle or rotunda and ended at the Vicente de Lara
Park at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol. It was attended by civil
society groups, relatives of the victims, members of the police and the
military and concerned citizens. In the park, the participants of the march
held a brief program in a kiosk where the organizers, the family members of the
victims and police and military officers delivered short speech.
Most heists are perpetrated by criminals riding in tandem on
motorcycle. Usual victims are women or those who have lesser physical
capability to defend themselves against ruthless criminals who are usually
armed with a caliber 9 mm or .45 in. pistol. When opportunity presents itself, criminals on motorcycle grab the bag or other things containing cash or other valuable
of the victims. They have no hesitation of shooting and killing a victim if she
or he resists or refuses to give his or her money or belongings to them. A person in
the vicinity who plays a hero for the victim will be shot too. It is ironic
that as of late crimes are committed with the use of guns when COMELEC and
other concerned government authorities are supposed to implement the gun ban.
Lately, the criminals become so daring that victims are robbed and killed even near the vicinity of their home, and businessmen are held up inside their establishment even during broad daylight. One recent victim of the spate of crimes committed in the city was a money changer who was about to board a taxi. The robber who was waiting for him in a nearby store suddenly rushed to the victim, shot him and grabbed the bag containing cash and other valuables worth more than a million pesos.
The people of Cagayan de Oro call their place as a “City of
Golden Friendship”. The slogan is indicative of their hospitable and friendly
dispositions. Those traits made the city a magnet for immigrants and investors
from other places. They also made Cagayan de Oro as one of the most peaceful
cities of the Philippines. The series of crimes committed against law-abiding
citizens of the city is threatening to destroy the good image of a peaceful
city on which Cagayan de Oro has been known for.
For a growing city in the Philippines such as Cagayan de Oro
crimes are bound to happen. And the normal course of event is to identify and arrest the
criminal and bring him to the bar of justice. But the people of the city
observe that many of the perpetrators of kidnappings, bombings, robberies and
killings are not caught and punished. And it seems that local civilian and
police authorities are helpless to do something about the crimes.
Although the number of people who attended the march was
significantly small, the participants have conveyed their message to concerned government
authorities. The message includes important issue on the safety of the residents,
the prevention of crimes and the giving of justice to the family of victims of criminal
elements.
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