My rants, sentiments & frustrations in this ruthless society

Every morning when I get out of bed, it has been my habit to sit on the couch and grab the morning paper. I usually skip headlines coz I find it depressing to read disputes ending in tragic slaying first thing in the morning. I'd leaf through the showbiz news portion instead (aryt, I'm a showbiz person), before I head to the bathroom to take a bath. This morning was different. My sleepy eyes caught the front page title immediately. It says a sakristan (altar boy) was robbed and killed. Curious, I read the whole story only to be furious in the end.

This helpless, innocent little boy, who have his whole life ahead of him, was running errands for his grandmother (to buy malungay on the nearby street). While walking, he was texting on his Nokia 3310 oblivious to the approaching three men in motorcycle. These three evil, maybe drug addicts, lunatic men declared hold-up. The frightened young boy undoubtedly gave his NOKIA 3310 cellphone without showing any signs to brawl these bloody criminals. To tell you frankly, when we are in a scary situation our brain tells us to fight or flight. I'm sure the boy knew better than to fight, what with these three demonic forces? He ran for his life after handing his phone, and I would like to repeat, a NOKIA 3310 worth 500 pesos for christ's sake!!!

The gunman mercilessly shoot the poor boy in the head in broad daylight. He was brought to the hospital. Critical. But died on that same fateful day. And he was just 14 years old. Now tell me, what kind of a person is that who robs a cellphone worth 500 pesos to a 14 year old boy and shoot him because he ran afterwards? Are they not capable of showing the least mercy to this innocent child who did not do any harm to them? Don't they have siblings or children perhaps his age? Haven't they thought of what would it be if someone also puts a hole through their head coz I'd gladly pull the trigger! Don't they have a heart or conscience maybe? Didn't they realize this young boy might be full of dreams or he may be the hope of his parents? Would they know how many friends, classmates, cousins, and siblings cried upon his demise? How many like him will trudge on the same fate because our society failed to protect him? What does our law enforcers have to say on this? Or this would be another page in their history books - forgotten, disregarded and overlooked.

I want to rant a little : This is not the first time I've heard about hold-up incidents gone out of hand. If my memory had it right, a graduating nursing student was also shoot in the head last year when she refused to gave her new, expensive cellphone. What right do they have to take away the lives of these innocent people? And this young boy didn't even dare to fight off his predators yet he was shoot, still. Why do we tolerate these heartless, vicious, cold-blooded murderers to prey on our safety? I hope conscience eats at them. And whenever they try to sleep, I hope images of that awful boy will hunt them down.

I was just wondering how on earth did they manage to own a gun, carry it and aim at whoever they pleases? Well, the answer is obvious. There have been private individuals illegally selling guns. If you have the money then you can get one in an instant. No license needed! It has been going on for quite sometime yet the police force seem not to mind it. I don't know if there have been action plans to resolve that illegality, but since road killings are rampant nowadays, makes me think otherwise.

My heart goes out to the family of that young boy (whose name I forgot). I hope something will come out during the course of the investigation that will lead to the tracking of the perpetrators. I pray that each one of us will be vigilant and always ask God's protection coz no amount of defense will be tantamount in His shield. And please, no texting while on the road or inside the jeep... for your safety.


(Edit : Added 03/17/10)

A few days after, I read on the same newspaper that some 13-year old saw the whole killing incident which lead to the timely arrest of the perpetrators. The identities of the killers came a surprise to me. They were all young - the driver of the motorcycle was just 16 years old and a former altar boy. While the gunman and his companion were in their early 20s.

I hope they all rot in jail. Sounds cruel, but I really hope.