DasMarinas Village Great Cat Massacre Revisited. Investigation Stalls. Gov't Officials Play Dead. Mayor Binay Should Act.

The DasMarinas Village Great Cat Massacre occurred in mid- December 2007. People were naturally horrified by the execution-style killings of helpless animals. Click HERE to see my first report on the massacre. The airgun shooting of caged cats recuperating from their spaying procedures meant that a monster was on the loose in this upscale neighborhood. The local television news covered the story and by early January the Makati police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) got involved in the investigation. Things looked promising back then-- the pellets examined, the visitors' log at the subdivision perused for any abnormal activity, and a suspect questioned. Even the Mayor of Makati, Jejomar Binay , condemned the killings on January 6th and promised to get to the bottom of it. Animal lovers were pleased with all the attention and activity. Finally, authorities were acting from the sheer force of their professionalism. But two months into the investigation, the case remains unsolved. Nancy Cu Enjieng, the President of Compassion and Respect for Animals (CARA) seems to be the only one keeping the victims' memory alive. Emailing and calling, she continues to appeal to the authorities for whatever it's worth.

In a recent email from her, I got the impression that those who previously championed the cause have practically abandoned it and there isn't a will nor the interest to proceed. The previous actions of the Makati police, the NBI, and even the Mayor have come down to helpless saber rattling. The Mayor's once promising declaration could become nothing but a selfish grab for publicity if he does not act decisively. If Mayor Binay ( pictured below ) does not get things moving again, then he would have basked in the media's attention at the expense of murdered cats. The authorities' collective inaction favors the guilty for every second that they sit and wait. Crime fighting, it seems, may not be their top priority in this case. The impetus to go forward will not come from a sense of professionalism that we normally assume police officers have burning in their hearts, but from some other form of encouragement.

How could it be that two government authorities and an elected city official are unable, or simply refuse, to proceed with the case? What are they waiting for? What would it take for them to attend to their moral and legal responsibility to enforce the law? No, I am not confused. These are only rhetorical questions. What a shame!