ILIGAN City ― When Police Major Zandrex Panolong labeled a recent fatal shooting at the city’s public plaza as “isolated,” it felt familiar.
Just last month, two brothers were killed in Barangay Palao, another incident brushed off as “isolated.”
Official assurances follow each event, pointing to the peaceful city fiesta and the orderly “Kalag-kalag” days in November as proof that these violent events are exceptions, not the rule.
Is this narrative of “isolation” justified? Perhaps. City officials, including Mayor Frederick Siao, have indeed worked to keep large gatherings safe, issuing timely executive orders that likely contributed to the peaceful celebration of recent events.
But not everyone is convinced. Critics, especially those aligned with Congressman Celso G. Regencia’s camp—the so-called “red” team—claim this administration is too focused on business and not on public safety.
They argue that Regencia, a former law enforcer, maintained a firmer grip on peace and order during his tenure, contrasting with the business-oriented backgrounds of Siao and Vice Mayor Marianito Alemania.
In response, “blue” team supporters of Siao argue that the previous administration's “peaceful” era was marred by its own violent incidents.
They remind us of the lawyer who was shot, the massacre of lotto employees, and other unresolved cases. One supporter even quipped that the past administration may have “killed people peacefully and buried them orderly”—a dark joke highlighting the perception of selective memory among Regencia’s supporters.
Adding to this simmering tension is an odd but persistent rumor involving Regencia and a “samurai.”
It’s almost humorous, like something out of a movie, yet the idea of such a weapon has gained traction in the rumor mill.
And now I find myself wondering, is the “samurai” real? If so, is this another “isolated” detail?
Whether these incidents are isolated or not, the repeated labeling raises questions. Political divisions have turned even terminology into a battleground, and both sides are quick to leverage the “isolated” incidents to argue for their version of the city’s legacy.
It’s a reminder that in our city, incidents may be isolated, but our reactions—and political divides—are anything but.
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