Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon condemned on Wednesday the killing of a traffic enforcer while on duty and offered a P100,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the arrest of the gunman.
(Photo from Biazon’s Facebook account/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
“The coldblooded, traitorous killing of a Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau (MTMB) officer while on duty deserves nothing less than the condemnation not just by myself but by the people of Muntinlupa as well,” he said.
Traffic enforcer Daniel Manalo, 36, was shot dead by an unidentified male suspect in front of SM Center Muntinlupa at about 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16. He and a fellow traffic enforcer were conducting a clearing operation in the area.
“Daniel Manalo, call sign Traffic 44, was performing his sworn duty to serve the public when he was gunned down in a busy main street of Muntinlupa. The shot fired not only extinguished the life of Officer Manalo, it has broken the peace and order of the city, especially that a law enforcement officer is the victim,” said Biazon.
He added, “This is not the first time that there has been a killing in our city. Others have fallen at the hands of assassins. Unfortunately, many have gone unsolved and this latest one with a law enforcer as victim shows that perpetrators continue to brazenly defy the city’s law and order.”
“We as a people must make a united stand on this, not just to condemn the killing of Daniel ‘Utoy’ Manalo, but to work towards making our city safer from such dastardly deeds. Not only should we call for Justice for Utoy but we should also take action against this kind of crime,” he said.
Biazon has joined Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi in offering a counterpart P100,000 reward for the arrest of the suspect. The total bounty is now at P200,000.
“Beyond this, we must look at how to improve the safety and security of Muntinlupa City’s streets, enhance the capability for monitoring, surveillance, and investigation of criminal activities by law enforcement (national and local) and encourage citizen participation in information gathering and vigilance. To defeat crime, we must take united action,” said Biazon.
He said his long-time staff and Manalo were planning to marry soon.
“Utoy’s death comes close to home for me because he and the daughter of my long time coordinator/staff were set to be married soon. We grieve with the family of Utoy and Bianca for their great loss,” he said.