EDITORIAL - Justice

Slain Ronda town Mayor Mariano Blanco was laid to rest Sunday with his family and constituents still groping in the dark in their quest for justice as police authorities have yet to pin down the real motive and those responsible for his death.

The provincial police admitted that they are having a hard time in their investigation into the case. “Karon naglisud g’yud mi sa pag-single out bisan usa man lang sa mga possible motives nga initially ni-prop up, that’s why statement from the family would really help the investigation,” said Superintendent Janette Rafter, spokesperson for a body looking into Blanco’s killing.

More than 20 days since gunmen burst into the mayor’s office in the municipal hall and shot him to death, police are still following up leads. Although they already have persons of interest, the case has yielded no significant development.

But why are police still having problems in their investigation when in fact they have claimed they already identified some persons of interest in the case? Is there something that prevents them from pursuing this further? The public is just asking.

We hope Blanco’s case won’t follow the other heinous crimes that have remained unsolved. Those crimes even include the murder of the town’s vice mayor, a lawyer, who was gunned down after attending a court hearing of his client in April.

The police do not have to look further in their effort to unmask those responsible for Blanco’s death. The road has been littered with clues worthy of their attention. These clues could be related to personal, business, and politics.

And we should not also discount the possibility that Blanco was a victim of the government’s war on drugs. Last year, he was stripped of his police power by the National Police Commission over allegations he was involved in the illegal drug trade.

Whatever the motive, it’s the responsibility of the authorities to speed up investigation and solve Blanco’s murder. His family and constituents should get the justice they deserve.