Yt Framework

They call on Mayor to take urgent action vs. further gun slaying

Residents have expressed their alarm at incidents of killing and shooting in the city in separate exclusive interviews yesterday with them conducted by Zamboanga Today and other media.

"We're gravely alarmed by these spate of killings that involved gun shootings on civilians," Mercy Arquiza. "This only shows a failure by the city government to protect its own people," said Mercy Arquiza.

Speaking on condition of being identified as a resident of Zamboanga and not politician, Ms. Arquiza said the killings of civilians in the different areas of the city represent an alarming situation in the city.

She cited the incidents in Sta. Maria, Tetuan, Divisoria, and along Gov. Ramos Ave. and other areas including the brutal murder of the president of Universidad de Zamboanga, also in Sta. Maria.

"The killings be ceased immediately by the city government and concerned authorities who are protector of the people," Ms. Arquiza stressed.

A motorist, who refused to give his name because of worries over safety, said he is already cutting his time, which means he goes home early instead of going home about 9 or 10.

"At 8 o' clock ta bolbe ya iyo because I am afraid to be in the streets at night because it's almost everyday that somebody gets shot and killed by criminals riding-in-tandem," he said.

At the start of this week, he said there were three who died along Gov. Ramos Ave. in Sta. Maria, and another one dead along the highway in Divisoria then two gunned down in two separate areas on Wednesday.

Another civilian, who spoke on condition of anomymity, asked: "I don't know what the local government PNP, and the military are doing about to stop this senseless killings and gun shootings."

"Ta tiene ya miedo el vivientes de Zamboanga...it is very alarming because is not anymore normal," he said and asked: "What should we do about it?"

Meanwhile, a loca businessman, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the authorities to improve and increase police visibility and their intelligence network, not only in “vulnerable’ areas including highway and streets.

"Necesita umenta kita el police, visibility of men and uniform is very important along the streets. We should give an ordinary hours the visibility of police in the highway and streets, along the business centers and put up the CCTV cameras."

He said they're gravely alarmed by these spate of killings that involved gun shootings on civilians, stressing that this only shows a failure by the city government to protect its own people.

Another Zamboangueño asked the city's Peace and Order Council (POC), who is being chaired by Mayor Celso Lobregat to give its all out support to the police so they can carry out their mandate to the fullest.

He called on Mayor Lobregat to take immediate, decisive action to meet his responsibility to protect populations at risk of further gun slaying incidents.

The city's chief executive and POC members, including local police and military officials and representatives from the different sectors convened on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, to tackle the series of killing and shootings.

But just few hours after the POC meeting Wednesday, another gun shooting erupted anew along Governor Avenue, a day after the shooting in Divisoria, where a No. 1 barangay kagawad was killed.

According to the police, the latest victim, who was shot at close range, sustained gunshot wounds in the head and body.