EDITORIAL – Culture of violence

Relatives of those killed in the bloody bank robbery in Cabuyao, Laguna had not yet buried their dead when tragedy once again struck in the province. The gunman in the latest case was at least identified quickly. That does not make the tragedy any less grievous for those who lost their loved ones when a farmhand went berserk and opened fire on several huts in a remote village in Calamba, Laguna before dawn yesterday. Among the eight who were killed in their sleep were five children aged 4 to 12. Six other victims were in critical condition last night.

Police identified the gunman as Bernabe Fiesta, a North Cotabato native who worked as a farmhand for his uncle, retired Senior Police Officer 4 Florencio Peria. Police said Fiesta used the M-16 rifle of Peria in a fit of rage, emptying its contents into the huts. A survivor, who was spared after he offered Fiesta coffee, told police that the farmhand complained of being frequently humiliated by his adult victims. 

Police took Peria into custody after the retired cop initially denied owning the rifle used in the massacre. But an ammunition magazine recovered at the crime scene together with about 90 M-16 shells bore Peria’s name. He then claimed the rifle was stolen from him. Fiesta is at large, presumably still toting a high-powered weapon.

Coming on the heels of the bloody bank robbery in Cabuyao, where nine employees and a security guard were lined up, shot in the head and left for dead, the massacre yesterday raised concern about the escalation of violent criminal attacks. The violence is abetted by the ease with which anyone can obtain a gun in this country, whether legally or in the black market.

The country has some of the toughest gun laws in this part of the world, and requirements for securing gun licenses and permits are stringent. Yet there are still too many loose firearms out there, with the number increasing during election periods when civilian licenses and permits are supposed to be suspended. In the conflict areas of Mindanao, even children tote rifles. Unless the government gets serious in enforcing gun laws, the culture of violence can only be reinforced, claiming the lives of innocents.