EDITORIAL — Crimes that make us feel unsafe

While many of us have become desensitized to crime because of how common it has become nowadays, every once in a while there’s still one that comes along and shocks our sensibilities.

We are talking about the abduction of 57-year-old Leo Leaño who was snatched by armed men last September 3 in Barangay Nangka, Consolacion town, before being found bound and dead the following day in Barangay Sudlon 1, Cebu City, with gunshot wounds to the head and body.

The callous way the victim was discarded, left in a field like a piece of trash, harkens to the time decades ago when “salvage” victims were often found dumped in areas designated as “dumping grounds”. We certainly don’t want a return to that time.

Fortunately, the abduction of the victim itself, carried out in broad daylight, was recorded by a security camera, making it easier for investigators to find the suspects.

So far, three men, including the one who shot him dead, have been arrested for the crime. Police are also now looking for the mastermind who allegedly ordered the killing, although the motive behind the crime has yet to be determined.

We suppose we should be glad that the suspects were no criminal geniuses and were sloppy enough to leave the best piece of evidence --in this case the body of the victim-- somewhere where people could easily find it, instead of making it disappear entirely, and leaving enough clues that quickly led investigators to them.

We commend the police for the speedy developments in this case and hope for the complete resolution of it soon.

Crimes where people are snatched in broad daylight before being murdered and discarded like garbage no longer have a place in today’s society.

Crimes that make us feel unsafe must be dealt with quickly and decisively. On the other hand criminals, especially perpetrators of brazen crimes, must be made to feel that they aren’t safe.