No guarantee

The police already have him. He was being brought to the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office for inquest proceedings concerning the mauling of a masseur. On the way, in a three-vehicle police convoy no less, Mayor David Navarro of Clarin, Misamis Occidental, was killed by armed men who were waiting in ambush. The assailants were even able to drag him out of the police vehicle and shot him several times more as if not fearing police armed response or retaliation. There seems to be no account of police escorts firing back because "it happened too fast". So that's the apparent secret to a successful crime; speed. Where is the vaunted ability of the police to fire back at those who "nanlaban" during drug arrests? One thing is clear - the fact you are already in police custody is no guarantee of your safety. Some of Navarro's escorts were wounded in the incident but are already recuperating in a hospital.

It should be mentioned that Navarro is on President Duterte's narco list. So it seems if you are on Duterte's narco list and already under police custody, you could be in more danger. Perhaps this is what the drug war is all about. Those in the narco list are successfully killed one by one. But Navarro met with President Duterte two weeks before his ambush to explain his side and deny he had anything to do with illegal drugs. He mentioned he was neither on the PNP or PDEA drug list. He even claimed all his barangays were declared drug-free. Duterte himself revealed that Navarro supported him during the last election. It is natural for many to think that Navarro was killed because of his inclusion in the narco list. According to the police, drugs, business, or organized crime could be behind his killing. In other words, they do not know anything.

I agree with President Duterte's order for the NBI to take over the investigation into Navarro's killing. Duterte even hinted the police might have killed him, so to have a fair, impartial investigation the NBI should take over. We can only hope. Maybe someone obeyed Duterte's recent command to another police officer to "kill everyone"? Navarro will only be added to the number of corpses under the Duterte administration. In the ongoing debate over whether or not the drug war is successful, the killing continues. Duterte uttered his "whiff of corruption" as enough reason for government officials to be axed - at least some of them. But I think there is also a "whiff of involvement" in illegal drugs that is enough to be a target for assassination. Even if already in police custody. [email protected]