A story Behind His Death

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

A Story Behind His Death

Iloilo City could have some similarities from this story of FBI M. Purvis, the protector of Al Capone in his liquor business. The FBI twice arrested Roger Touhy, the only surviving rival of Capone in beer trade and charged him with kidnapping done by other gangs, thus, Touhy was exonerated.

But on the second arrest Purvis had Touhy convicted of kidnapping Jake Factor, Capone’s underworld business associate. Unknown to the FBI man, he was set-up by Capone to ensure that his business rival Touhy’s would serve a long prison term.

This emboldened Capone to sell more alcohol in defiance of the Liquor Ban Law. He is also noted in attending his victims’ funerals pretending in grief and staying unshaved during the mourning period. His only problem is the neophyte but a remorseless gangster “Bugs” Moran who is a threat to his business. 

But this war with Moran ended shortly when his loyal gang-men perpetrated the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Disguised as police officers, five Capone men wiped out five Moran toughies, a motor mechanic and an optometrist who just like to hang out with crooks inside an emptied-warehouse.

This story transfigures the many tragic stories of murders for money. Take the case of the “Kuratong Baleleng Gang,” the Seman’s group ambushed by a group of police officers assisted by the army. The same police brutality in the killing of Jake Segovia at barangay Ortiz, Iloilo City, years ago.

But this one refers to the murder of PO2 Rex de los Reyes in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental. During the stint of PRO6 RD Isagani Cuevas, Reyes was implicated in a robbery at Kalibo, Aklan. But they were intercepted at a checkpoint in Pandan, Antique on their way-out to this province.

The police discovered inside their getaway carjacked van assorted weapons and ammunition as recorded in the Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO). But his exoneration has a shortcut from PNP Antique to RD Cuevas and beyond, to the Fiscal’s Office we cannot command. Thus, he feels himself untouchable and that feeds Iloilo City with more unsolved crimes.

As a matter of fact, the shooting of the two radio broadcasters who survived, (skipping the three stories of unsolved murders) are attributed to him. But air has eyes and grasses have ears that rumor mills continue grinding overnight his personal implication in other cases.

Worse, his latest shooting-victim is a peaceful and non-gossiper radio reporter Jhey-r, a friend of a known peace-maker in the city. This gives a strong warning to neophytes never to insult him or he can give the taste of what it takes if the push comes to shove!

No drugs in this story, however, numbers maybe. The shooting of Kapid Gabio can be traced back to the issue of a government project where he was the first to bring it out and over the air. The killing of Guimaras real estate agent Richard Cezar is widely believed to have rooted from a land problem.

The murder of contractor Jimmy Punzalan has no linkage with illegal drugs, but numbers could be. The victim has reportedly earned the ire of another financier  of STL “bookies” after their lair was raided by authorities and big amount of bet had been confiscated. They suspect Jimmy as the one who fingered the place to the raiding authorities.

Then came the murder of retired P/Supt. Musa Amiyong. There were reports coming to this writer that no illegal activities are involved in his murder but it was a crime of passion. After a careful circling and sniffing to all quarters, I am convinced the cause is – dahil sa isang bulaklak!

This story is sending us a strong signal that he who lives by the gun will die by the guns. Here, the tragedy is not to go but the failure to know that while you kill for money – others kill for nothing.