For the past months, the Philippines had experienced a series of killings. Several persons had been murdered for various reasons. There have been political killings like the killing of Victor Olayvar and a mayor of Biliran. There had been assassinations of media practitioners and activists and there had been salvaging of criminals. There had been killings of the innocents whose sins are possessing what the others covet, like a cellphone. Or cash and valuables.

Crimes such as doing away with the lives of others or even with oneself need three factors namely: motive, opportunity and will. For a Filipino, there can be plenty of motives. One of them is hatred. When someone intensely dislikes a person enough to decide that there is no room in this life for both of them, there is nothing left but to eliminate the other. If he intensely dislikes himself, he commits suicide. The second motive is revenge. A person could be killed because of real or imagined wrong committed. This is in line with the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” concept.

The third motive is greed. A culprit covets what the other person has and he would like its possession through the easiest method that means the elimination of the owner. The next motive is fear of exposure. Anyone who threatens to air a felony, crime or bad deed that would cast aspersions on the integrity of a person is destined to be killed to silence him. Another motive is fear of security. When one's safety is grievously threatened, the best remedy is to eliminate the threat. This could be a basis for self-defense and the deed can no longer be considered a crime. Next comes propaganda as a cause for killing. The most undesirable person of a movement is killed to serve as a warning so he would not be emulated. Or sometimes the most expendable is killed so the blame can be laid to the opposition. The worst killings are those without motive, the senseless killing. An innocent person is killed to boost flagging ego or just that he happens to be there, a target of opportunity.

Some killings may be considered a part of the situation. A criminal is a legitimate prey of the vigilante. A soldier killed in battle or in ambush by a member of the New Peoples Army or by terrorists, an NPA or terrorist is killed by the soldier, or NPA after accusing the latter of being a deep penetration agent, an activist killed by the soldier or an NPA for propaganda, or a politician is killed by the order of an opposing politician or a loudmouth media practitioner killed by anybody to silence him seems to be the order of the day Those professions are to be definitely avoided. In those fields, killing goes with the territory.

Killing is a wanton disregard for human life. Before the Great War, elimination of life is seldom. During the war, criminal elements and some politicians caused the deaths of their victims and adversaries and got away with it. As population grew, our moral fiber deteriorated. Crime deterrents like death penalty were eliminated. Lax laws and shabby police work allow culprits to go scot-free. The Filipino can get lost in a permissive society. He can be murderous. Unless the present situation is changed, it is best to stay safe by remaining at home or engaging in less hazardous professions like dressmaking and fashion designing or cosmetology. Should one become a soldier, NPA activist, politician or a media practitioner, he has plenty of chances to be killed.