Slaughter of Innocents

AT GLANCE: On June 4, another motorcycle taxi driver, Alfredo Coronel, had been killed by gunmen riding on motorcycle who attempted to forcibly steal his motorcycle from him. Alfredo’s murder adds on to the unabated murders of motorcycle taxi drivers in General Santos City. Those responsible have not been identified, arrested and charged so far. The police, who have obligation under section 24 of the law RA 6975, to ensure protection of lives and properties of the people, particularly when a pattern of murders is taking place, continuously fail to carry on their duties.Photo/galapinoy

Victim: Alfredo Coronel, 30 years old; of Purok 6, Sitio Lanton, Barangay Apopong, General Santos City
Date: 4 June 2008 at 10:33 pm

Alfredo Coronel, a motorcycle taxi driver, was sitting in front of a 24-hour donut chain, when two gunmen, armed with .45 caliber had attempted to forcibly grab his motorcycle. When Alfredo resisted, one of the gunmen shot him thrice on the head.

The attackers had failed in stealing Alfredo’s motorcycle, a black Honda XRM model with license plate number PN 1275, when some of the customers from a donut shop, started to emerge after hearing the gunshot.

But even before the crowd started to gather, the attackers had already escaped. They, though, were unable to take with them the victim’s motorcycle. The onlookers had the victim taken to a hospital nearby, St. Elizabeth Hospital, but he was already dead.

Policemen from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) had recovered a empty shells from a .45 caliber pistol. The victim’s motorcycle was also taken to police custody.

Alfredo’s murder is yet another incident of the escalating number of robbery related murders which remains unabated in the city.

Recently, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in Hong Kong had already sought the intervention from the concerned UN agencies on this phenomenon. Apart from the pattern of robbery related murders, there have also been murder of persons on pretext of having been involved in these robberies.

The photo above is an example of what a motorcycle taxi looks like. In General Santos City, although it is illegal but it is being used as means of transport in urban and remote areas.