In as much as I always want to write of happy thoughts and happy affairs. My mood and my spirit is now pulled down by the news of a shootout between the police and the hold-up gang armed with automatic weapons and grenades that took place in Manila just recently (December 7, 2008). A shootout crossfire so deadly it left sixteen people dead including ten of the robbery gang members, the news confirmed.
A father and his seven years old daughter on board a passing sports utility vehicle were hit in the crossfire and few moments later died. They were among the six civilians, collateral on that police operation. The Two other people manning a truck near the office of the transport firm also died from gunshot wounds. And, a men's fashion designer who was just on his way home from a Christmas party was also caught in the cross-fire.
What saddened mo most is the death of the father and the daughter. The father just went home for vacation to be present on his seven years old child's birthday. Who would have thought this dreadful event would left a weeping and wailing mother. A mother full of questions as why her spouse and child had to die. Why has she been left alone now? What would she be doing with her life now - that she's alone. Asked by this mother and wife as she hugged their pillows and kissed her daughter's school ID. What's is not more heart-breaking sight to see than this? And considering the time of the year this fate had occur.
What gives me more discomfort, is the speculations that again the p-o-l-i-c-e again had made some inaccurate mistakes. I have this frustrating doubts and fear that in such cases like this, accuracy of neutralizing situations is a quality questionable from the part of the forces. This is not the first time in the police force, when a civilian is undeniably part of that collateral damage. One civilian always has to die every time their is a shoot out like this one. Containing the situation accurately and swiftly should be a skill to be mastered by our forces to spare the lives of a civilian. One civilian's death is inexcusable. It is excusable because no one will answer to a collateral damage - especially not in the kind of justice system Philippines has.
On the contrary, the criminals, it is them that they would not care who their bullets will hit when they pull some triggers. Imagine an aimless shower of bullets from them - anybody could be hit of course. And they had to be neutralized - swiftly. Nonetheless, a question is asked. From whom did this bullets that ceased the lives of the innocent passers-by come from? Doing ballistic analysis, I wished this question will be answered honestly by the authorities.
