Spate of ambushes, killings are ‘isolated cases,’ Nacaya says

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent . 

THE majority floor leader of the city council considers the spate of ambushes and killings in the city in the last quarter of 2018 as “isolated cases.”

This was the counter pronouncement made by Majority Floor Leader Ian Mark Nacaya when City Councilor Teodulfo Lao, Jr. who made a privilege speech that the series of criminal incidents that recently happened are having a toll at the city’s reputation.

Among the incidents that he cited were the ambush of Supt. Michael John Deloso, Barangay Kagawad Jonathan Joseph Borja, a shootout that killed SPO1 Serge de Constantine Maceren and wounding SPO2 Lindy Baltazar, and former Kadingilan town mayor Joelito Jacosalem Talaid.

Lao said he feared that the recent incidents could probably drive away investors who plan to come to the city of criminal incidents that has been happening and most the cases have remained unsolved.

“Peace and order in the city must be maintained as we continue our effort for development,” he said.

He also cited that Xavier University students has raised concern that the peace and order condition of the city is at stake because of the reported series on high-value incidents. The students also claimed that there have been a series of robbery and hold-up that took place near their campus.

However, Nacaya downplayed the report as the former chairman of the Committee on Police, Fire, and Public Safety that the incidents were just “isolated cases.”

“Index crime ang mikunhod og naka-sulti kita nga isolated kay kana nga mga subject cases ipalalum pa ang investigation og susihon asa nag-sugod ang maong crime. Nahitabo lang kana sa Cagayan de Oro pero wala kita masayod asa ang source niana nga mga crime,” he said.  

He said police officers in Cagayan de Oro are doing their best to protect the residents.

“Ang gipadayag ni Lao were only circumstances nga angayan susihon sa local police para mahiluna ang hunahuna sa katawhan. For me, relatively peaceful pa gihapon kita,” he pointed out.

For his part, city councilor Romeo Calizo, the chairman of the peace and order council said the ambushes and killings were only highlighted because these involved known personalities in the city.

“Cagayan de Oro is still generally peaceful and those people involve like Mayor Talaid should not create a panic in the city. With the deployment of our security forces, we are still safe,” he said.