The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has expressed alarm over the attempt on the life of former Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. in an ambush by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Pili, Camarines Sur last June 1.

If such an attack can happen against a high-profile individual in broad daylight, the CHR worries for ordinary citizens who might be more vulnerable to vigilante killings.

"If it will go unpunished, tolerated impunity would contribute to the perceived insecurity among communities, and could easily lead to a breakdown of law and order," the CHR said through Spokesperson and lawyer Jacqueline Ann de Guia.

De Guia said that while Andaya and his companions survived the attack, it is time for the government to tighten its protection measures to mitigate possible election-related violence, especially since the national and local elections are fast approaching.

"The CHR denounces the vigilante-style violence and calls on local authorities to fully investigate the case to determine the real motive behind the attack, and to prevent the possibility of graver human rights violations," she stressed.

De Guia said the CHR's Region V office has started conducting an investigation and has expressed its willingness to work with local authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable.