BAD FOR BUSINESS: ‘Body dumping’ should not be taken lightly, biz leader says

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – A business community leader in this city on Sunday called on the city government and the police not to take lightly the series of “body dumping” incidents.

Three decomposing human bodies were dumped on April 30 and May 2 in Brgys. Felisa and Cabug here, respectively.

In previous months, dismembered body parts were also dumped in different areas of the city.

Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), told Daily Guardian that crimes create fear in the business sector and the community.

“This should not be taken lightly by our civilian and police authorities or treated as isolated cases,” Carbon further said.

He further said that “they have to come out and condemn these crimes and assure the public they swore to serve that they will use the resources at their disposal to solve these crimes and to prevent the commission of same crimes in the future.”

“This is very bad for business,” Carbon lamented.

He pointed out that “this will deter investors from outside of the city and province to come in and do business.”

Earlier, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez ordered the police to do something about the incidents. The Bacolod City Police Office, however, still faces a blank wall on the identity of the suspects and the motive for the dumping of corpses and dismembered body parts in the past months.

“They are sending a very strong signal… some kind of vigilante group,” Carbon further said.

The Bacolod City Police Office has already recommended to the Police Regional Office 6 the creation of a Special Investigation Task Group that will look into the gruesome incidents.

Col. Noel Aliño, BCPO chief, maintained that the city remains generally peaceful, as their crime statistics showed that the 8 Focus Crime incidents are very low. The only problem apparently is the dumping of bodies and body parts.

The 8 Focus Crimes include murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, robbery, car napping, and motorcycle theft.

Carbon said, “peace and order is one of the major criteria we consider when investing.”