The brazen armed attack that killed Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and five other civilians on March 4 comes close on the heels of similar armed attacks on local officials since last month.
This raises the question: Are we seeing a clear pattern of settling grudges, whether political or personal, through violent means, especially at the local level?
If that’s the case, the national leadership has a big task ahead: to stop the wave of attacks and assert its authority to maintain law and order throughout the country.
Four violent incidents involving local officials since last month may be totally distinct and isolated cases, each with its own specific causes.
But these nonetheless indicate a breakdown of law and order at the local level that requires urgent action on the part of both national and local leaders.
The immediate task, however, is to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The provincial police office in Negros Oriental deserves commendation for acting swiftly and launching hot pursuit operations that led to the arrest of three of the suspected killers of Governor Degamo and five other innocent civilians.
It is probably just a matter of time before the other perpetrators of the dastardly crime are rounded up and charged with multiple murder and sent to jail for long prison terms once found guilty by a court of law.
In the meantime, law enforcement agencies should conduct a thorough assessment of security threats against local officials particularly in areas with a history of intense political rivalry and where there have been cases of politically-motivated killings in the past.
Those who have received death threats should be provided with adequate security to deter possible attacks against them.
Local officials who implement the law without fear or favor in their areas of jurisdiction are likely to be targeted for violence by those who stand to lose their positions of power and privilege, whether political or economic in nature.
Authorities should be constantly on the alert against those who may pose security threats against officials who uphold the law and may incur the wrath of their political adversaries or criminal elements.
The Department of Justice has offered a bounty of P5 million to those who can provide information that can lead to the masterminds of the murder of Governor Degamo and five others.
The sooner the perpetrators are arrested and charged in court, the better it would be for the peace of mind not only of other public officials facing security threats but also of the citizenry as a whole.
Law enforcement authorities should leave no stone unturned in ferreting out those responsible for the recent armed attacks on local officials, including Governor Roel Degamo, so that the rule of law may prevail throughout the country.
Every law is an infraction of liberty, it is said, but respect for the law is what keeps society together and our democracy from descending into chaos.