Statement of Senator Richard J. Gordon on the killings of NCMH Chief East Ave, driver by R-I-T gunmen

I strongly condemn the killing by riding-in-tandem assassins of National Center for Mental Health chief Dr. Roland Cortez, who was also former medical director of the East Avenue Medical Center, and his driver Ernesto Dela Cruz.

These heinous activities have been going on for so long and only a small number of these killings have so far been solved. It is high time that we shed our apathy and put a stop to these killings with impunity by criminals using motorcycles as easy get-away vehicles. Hence, I reiterate my call for the implementation of Republic Act 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2019. These criminals should no longer be allowed to escape easily from their accountability.

We are engaged on a war against the COVID-19 pandemic and killing doctors and other frontliners would weaken our army against the contagion. Thus, I also call on the authorities to immediately solve this killing.