BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Even if there has been a spate of unresolved shooting incidents that resulted in the deaths of the victims in Bacolod in the first two months of the year, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he still has trust and confidence in the leadership of P/Col Manuel Placido, the city police acting chief.
Records from BCPO showed that there were eight shooting incidents in Bacolod and most of these were reportedly triggered by either the illegal drug trade or grudges.
Leonardia said the City remains peaceful in general as these cases are purely isolated, adding that this scenario is also true in other areas.
Asked how he would rate the performance of Placido, Leonardia said he could not do so, adding that it would not be fair since the latter is performing well.
Leonardia said the police should not be blamed for the unresolved killings as the BCPO has been trying its best ever since to apprehend the suspects, although the efforts remained futile.
The mayor reminded the city police to continue visibility patrols to deter crimes.
Leonardia stressed that the peace and order situation in Bacolod has improved a lot although there is an inadequate police force.
Businessmen recently expressed alarm over the successive shooting incidents. Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, Frank Carbon, said these should not be treated as isolated cases or be downgraded as everyday events.
He said all shooting incidents should be investigated thoroughly and analyzed for it may point to a much bigger societal problem.
Leonardia said businessmen should be more circumspect before making any statement as these incidents actually had no huge impact in the business community. He also suggested that the businessmen should not make these crimes reflect negatively on Bacolod if they really want a healthy business environment.*
