The police must act
on Pura's death

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The cold-blooded killing of labor arbiter Phibun Pura in Talisay City , Negros Occidental at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday should be condemned by all law-abiding citizens, not only of this province, but of the entire country as well.

Pura was a ranking official of the National Labor Relations Commission who had been holding the position of labor arbiter for several years now. While it is true that there had been complaints about his manner of handling his job, none of them could be justification for anybody to take the law into his, or their own hands and mete him their own version of justice.

This is because investigations so far on the early morning killing tend to indicate that the shooting of Pura by one man who had two other companions waiting for him on a getaway vehicle, was work-related. The shooting was marked not only by treachery, because Pura was shot from behind, but also by brutality, because, reports said, the gunman, apparently to make sure that he was dead, also turned him over and shot him in the eye where he fell.

The police should not leave any stone unturned in the investigation to find out if there are others involved in the killing of Pura, and their motive for doing so in such a heartless manner. Even if they had gripes against the official, it is on record that cases had been filed against him, and the processes of justice, albeit admittedly very slow in turning, had already began. In fact, Pura was, at the time of his death, just out on bail because of the charges.

No matter how a man is perceived to be by those he allegedly wronged, they could never justify the act of taking another person's life. In the case of Pura, his death may have been avenged by his swift acting relative, but a strong warning must be sent to all others with the same line of thinking that this society will never condone such acts. That is why our police agencies must act swiftly and put a closure to this case.*