Guns and Justice

Assistant Provincial Public Prosecutor Alexander Sandoval was shot to death yesterday. He was young but an experienced prosecutor. Police investigators confirmed that he had sustained 9 gunshot wounds. The killers took their job seriously. They made sure that he would no longer stand up to prosecute criminals and violators.

But who can probe the mind of a killer?

Nobody knows for sure what prompted the assassins to kill Prosecutor Alex. Seldom would killers make known what motivate them in carrying out their nefarious design. Money usually serves as attractive motivation to the gun wielders. To the masterminds, however, stories are usually deeper than the money plot—well, one can only guess the evil that lurks behind the dark regions of those brains.

Prosecutor Alex was the second member of the Bar to have been killed in the province for the last ten years. The shooting of the late Judge Voltaire Rosales in Tanauan City on June 10, 2004, still rings up to this day. Both were ambushed by unidentified assailants; both were riddled with bullets a distance away from Hall of Justice.

Those nine bullets have shattered not only the lives of Prosecutor Alex’s family. Regardless of the motives that propelled them, they have pierced through the heart of Justice as well. With a prosecutor dead in the hands of unknown assassins, how can public prosecutors and lawyers do their work with equanimity and vigor?  Everything is standing still unless the wheels of justice started rolling for a dead Fiscal.

Loose guns and loose minds screw a lot. Justice requires that guns, if they are not all prohibited, should be under strict regulation. Parenthetically, gun control requires that loose firearms be eliminated completely; otherwise, gun control laws will become farcical, a sick joke to peace-loving citizens. All these require a decisive government, a ruling administration which is tough on crimes and their perpetrators.

Guns and Justice are anathema to one another. Guns represent lawlessness and violence while justice symbolizes the rule of law. They do not mix and they should not mix-up. But in an imperfect world, in a society where laws fall short to the requirements of justice, the resort to arms to get justice is too tempting. Should prosecutors and lawyers resort to guns to insure that “justice will be done, though heavens should fall?” Answers should be provided so that their minds can be appeased. After all, this is not a rhetorical question. The context under which they perform their work justifies the practicality of the question.

Whatever caused Prosecutor’s death is inconsequential at this point. The prosecution of perpetrators and everyone who has a hand in his killing is the most important thing to his family and friends. This will assure justice to his family and restore the dignity of the criminal justice system.

Prosecutor Alexander Sandoval now belongs to our memory. He has become a symbol of our quest for a just and peaceful society. May he continue to remind us that more is required of those who are entrusted with the mission of bringing justice to the people. So long..Prosecutor Alex, rest in peace.