Philippines RCBC bank massacre ignites outrage

"For the love of money is the root of all evil..." 1 Tim 6:10 (KJV)





An Entire Country Grieves
Since I have been preparing to move, I haven't seen any local news as of late. When I went to an RCBC bank, my teller friend asked me with a sad expression if I heard the news. I wished I didn't ask, but I was too curious. "What news?", I said. "They killed everyone at our branch location in Laguna."

I was extremely saddened to hear this. And to hear it from a member of the RCBC family and seeing the hurt, that was even more distressing.

While bank robberies are common throughout the world, it is very uncommon for bank robbers to kill unarmed people. A thief isn't usually a murderer, unless he is already a murderer and he turned into a thief. When a Fifth Third bank I frequented often in Florida was robbed, nobody got hurt.

So I'm puzzled about this bank robbery. Such madness, why would you seek to kill if your only motivation was to steal? Take the money and go, don't hurt civilians and innocents who are only trying to earn a living.

Judging from the other photos (I didn't post the pictures inside the bank for the respect of the victims and their family), this robbery was well planned. They broke in, they lined up the employees, and executed them at their post. This fiasco wasn't a crime of passion, it was a cold, calculated murder.

Root of All Evil
One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is found 1 Tim 6:10. Some people tend to pass over this and say that "money is the root of all evil" when the exact verse states the "love of money" is the root of all evil (or to be exact, the Greek context says all kinds of evil).

For sure, the love of money was the prime motivator of this massacre and it is an example of how such lust for greed no matter what the cost can sow the seeds of strife in our hearts.

I'm saddened to hear news reports that this could possibly involve law enforcement or military personnel. To those that are highly esteemed in public office, to those that we trust to keep our safety -- take the full, stern warning of this biblical advice. The way to this dark road is a subtle one. You compromise one decision at a time and in the end, you find yourself in a situation where your public office, your position of trust is nullified to a position of corruption.

May the victims rest in peace, may God comfort those families that are hurting, and I pray for those troubled souls that committed this crime, it is better to give up now or face justice in the end.

"Cursed is the man who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person." Deuteronomy 27:25

References:

1. 2 of 6 bank robbers were 'allegedly' men in uniform
   
2. RCBC's Official Statement