LEGISLATORS REACT STRONGLY TO EX-AGENT'S MURDER

Several legislators in the Senate and the House of Representatives
yesterday reacted strongly at the slaying of former anti-narcotics agent
Supt. John Campos.

At the House, opposition lawmakers ganged up on Mary Ong and described her
as the "most logical suspect" in the death of Campos.

In a statement, three minority members urged investigators to look into the
possible involvement of Ong, a former lover of Campos, into Campos' murder.

House Deputy Minority Leader Rolex Suplico, House Assistant Minority Leader
Gilbert Remulla and independent legislator Ted Failon said several details
pointed to Ong's possible involvement.

"This could be a crime of passion and has nothing to do with politics,"
Suplico said.

Failon, on the other hand, said that he was surprised by Ong's reaction
after the killing as he noted that she seemed to have the complete details
about Campos' death although news reports were still sketchy when she went
over the radio tagging Sen. Panfilo Lacson as the culprit.

Remulla, meanwhile, said that before Campos' death, Ong was said to be
bugging the former agent with phone calls.

In the Senate, Majority Floor Leader Loren Legarda said authorities tasked
to investigate the murder should check all possible angles and must not let
them be pressured to avoid the perception that they are letting the
perpetrators to get away.

Legarda told Senate reporters in a press conference that it is high time
for the law enforcement agencies to show their expertise in solving
sensational crimes with solid evidence so that the suspects can be
prosecuted properly in court.

"The death of Senior Supt. Campos is really unfortunate. Again, it would be
more unfortunate if it will go and be included in the long list of unsolved
murders and killings perpetrated by unscrupulous hitmen," Legarda said.

She also told Ong to shut up if she has no evidence to back up her claims.

Sen. Edgardo Angara said Campos' death showed the current state of drift
and anarchy in the country.

"Everything is spinning out of control. There is murder and mayhem on the
streets. People are losing hope and the institutions that should hold the
country together do not work anymore," Angara said.

The dawn murder of Campos, he said, dramatized "the lowly depths to which
the value of life had sunk under the Arroyo administration."