Death - a logical solution

Hole of Justice
by Peter G. Jimenea


Death - as a logical solution


I should have refrained from writing about the murder of fellow mediaman Lito Jimena, but my columnist-friend Mr. Alex Vidal has mentioned me in his column "Look what you've done Musa Amiong" which referred to the former intelligence chief of the Iloilo City Police Office.


What's more, another writer Adobo Ilonggo, in his analysis of Jimena's murder, also posted a blog citing the same column of Mr. Vidal with my name and whom the latter claimed to be the one who informed him about the death of Jimena.


There are so many speculations about the motive of the killing and as to who is the mastermind who ordered to kill him. Lito (Jimena) as we fondly called him, was also an insurance agent and at the same time a mediaman. It was only a misfortune that he decided to join Cinsp. Musa Amiong as sidekick of the latter.


What propelled Lito to befriend Amiong is his obssession to become a gun-holder. When I'm still  writing about illegal drugs, Cinsp. Amiong and I often meet at the office of then PDEA-6 Regional Director Roybel Sanchez who provided me information about drugs.


As host of a blocktime cable tv program "Smart Views" with DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzalez, I learned that Amiong is also a bodyguard of the secretary. Sad to say, it did not take long after Lito joined him when they were implicated in two shoot-out incidents in the city. 


By then Amiong and Lito are widely known hunter of drug-pushers and Lito as I see it, enjoyed the job being a civilian agent of PDEA. Unfortunately, rumors  has also started grinding overnight about their involvement in messy activities. One issue against them is "hulidap."


But that is not only what we are looking for.  Before Lito was killed, a retired police official is said to have been asking his background, regular hang-out and handler.The man is an identified aide of a city official who is the favorite target of Lito in his radio program.


I set aside this speculation knowing the negative tirades of Lito over the radio against this public official does not suffice to warrant this concept of justice at odds with due process. The reported swindling perpetrated by the victim against the bigtime supplier of illegal-drugs in Negros could have more weight.


The first attempt on Lito's life was linked to illegal drugs. This is known among friends in local media industry. Another report reached this writer that Amiong was also nearly collared by unidentified gunmen at Bacolod pier the other day. Lucky for him the presence of few police officers intimidated his supposed assassins.


In the business of the underworld, there is always jealousy, betrayal, swindling, double-cross and all other mess of gangsterism. Underworld characters involved in illegal activities have no recourse to court of law for settlement of differences. Death is the most logical solution to all judicial problems!


It is good that Malacanang had issued an order to the PNP for the investigation of this murder of Lito as no media killing has yet been resolved to date. This reminds me of a former PDEA agent, police officer Frederick Capasao who was killed in front of his house in La Paz, Iloilo City, few years ago. 


He is a police officer, yet, no positive result of police investigation has been reported. His murder has created an erroneous suspicion without affirming the perception that the police has no way to reach a conclusion for this case as the culprit-perpetrators are widely believed members of the police!


I hope the PNP investigation of this murder case of Lito Jimena will not redound into another unsolved crime added to the long-list of journalists killed. We need positive result or else, like the murdered PDEA agent in La Paz, the public may tend to believe that those who killed Lito are policemen themselves!