Slaughter of Innocents

AT GLANCE: Three days after a motorcycle taxi driver was killed, another driver, Jerry Balono, had been killed in broad daylight. His passenger shot him first on the back but as he was already wounded, two other gunmen repeatedly shot him to finish him off. The police claimed to have identified those responsible for these series of robbery related murders there, but none of them had been arrested or effectively prosecuted.

Victim: Jerry Balono, 54 years old; of Mocless compound, 39.2 FVR village, Barangay (village) Fatima, General Santos City
Date and place: 7 June 2008 at 12:15pm in Purok (sub-section of village) Malambuon of same village

Fifty-four-year old Jerry Balono, a motorcycle taxi driver, was ferrying a passenger at noontime to one place in the village. When they arrived at their destination, his passenger suddenly shot him on the back.

Shortly after, another two gunmen, who were already in the said place, came close to the already wounded victim to finish him off shooting him repeatedly. The attackers, riding on a separate motorcycle, have made it sure he is dead before they left.

The responding policemen no longer took the victim to the hospital as he was already dead. The police, however, as in previous cases of murders, have not been able to establish either the motive nor the identities of the perpetrators.

The victim’s death though happened three days after another motorcycle taxi driver, Alfredo Coronel, was shot dead in an attempt to rob him of his motorcycle. Jerry’s motorcycle, a blue Yamaha Crypton model with license plate no. NQ-2994, have not been taken by attackers./SunStar

These patterns of robbery and robbery attempt related murders targeting motorcycle taxi driver has since been taking place in the city killing already dozens of drivers there.

The police have already claimed to have identified those responsible for these robbery related murders; however, there has not been any arrests or that they have been prosecuted.

Instead, an appalling increase of murders of persons, supposedly involved in these robberies, had been taking place in the city, in recent times.