Making a difference

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

OUR headline in this issue is about a kapitan in Urdaneta City who contributed what could appear to some as a very small effort in the war against illegal drugs.

Allow me to disabuse the minds of our readers because contrary to that perception, reports of Kapitans taking an active lead role in the war vs. drug lords are rare, and far in between. That makes Kapitan Arsenio Lapena Elegado Sr. of Barangay Mabanogbog in Urdaneta City, another rare specie.

The fact of the matter is, it is the barangay kapitan that holds the key to the victory or defeat in the war of government vs. drug lords, but most kapitans today would rather take the back seat and simply allow the police do its work without any help from them. In fact, many are already known by the police to have been coopted to protect the drug trade. Proof? So if you learn of a shabu or marijuana den being raided, it could only because the kapitan collaborated with the police or the drug syndicates.

The fact remains, no shabu tiangge can possibly operate even for a single day without the imprimatur of the corrupt kapitan. So believe you me when I say that Kapitan Elegado’s reported initiative can hardly be considered a small feat but a bold and dangerous move.

If only Pangasinan can have more kapitans who would dare invoke their right to effect citizen’s arrest, the war would have been half–won by today.

This corner, therefore, joins the Urdaneta City government and the police station in congratulating Mr. Elegado for making a difference for the city.

We’ll be happy to publicly acknowledge the support of more and other kapitans here as we get the reports.

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PATHETIC ALIBIS. I am heartened by the report as well that Kapitan Rodolfo Siapno of Barangay Lasip Grande in Dagupan was instrumental in sending four drug pushers in his barangay to jail. When he said he has received death threats, no one can possibly debunk these because collaring drug pushers in the barangay is serious business.

In contrast, Barangay Binloc has been crawling with drug pushers and couriers of all ages and shapes. Why its barangay chairman, Kapitan Pedro Gonzales has not hauled any single suspected drug pusher to jail even knowing fully well that his barangay has been tagged over the years as a hotbed for drugs, is not exactly difficult to discern why.

Quoting city DILG Richard Dawis (read headline story “DILG: PDEA should file case…), even his explanation that his Barangay Anti Drug Advisory Council (BADAC) cannot be held accountable and be deemed a protector of illegal drug personalities is pathetic as it is laughable. He said his barangay council had submitted its watch list of drug pushers when required by the Dagupan police. Hmmm.

What Kap Gonzales did not share in his radio interview was the fact that the “watch list” he invoked was not submitted voluntarily but was required and not verifiable, that the last list he submitted was last year, not last month, that he never volunteered any information about the presence of the drug den prior to it being raided, that he never initiated any meeting with PDEA or Dagupan police about the tagging of his barangay as a hotbed, and the worst affected in the region.

Then, his challenge to the police to identify anyone in the CCTV footage who might have paid or received for protection money from drug syndicates is a comic attempt at feigning official innocence of the existence of drug trading in his barangay.

Then so far, Kap Gonzales or any of the members of the “Binloc Gang” has not been heard to explain how the raided drug den managed to operate for the past months, if not the past years, under their noses. The existence of the drug den could only mean one of two things – the barangay council is composed of inept and incompetent officials, or the council is well aware and has been protecting the trade. Take your pick!

May I say the same about Kapitana Julie Perez and her Pantal Gang in her barangay. I continue to get confirmation of the existence of the shabu tiangge operation, just stone’s throw from the barangay office, from helpless residents. Tsk-tsk. They talk despairingly about daily robberies perpetrated by drug addicts in their neighborhoods and complain about continued indifference of their barangay officials.

Pathetic.

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DAMOCLES’ SWORD. In our editorial, we talked about today’s version of “Artikulo Uno” – Executive Order No. 226.

We cited the E.O. that was invoked by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to make the Joseph Emilio Abaya, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, Office for Transportation Security (OTS) Administrator Roland Recomono, and PNP Director Pablo Francisco Balagtas fully accountable for not acting promptly on the “tanim-laglag bala” extortion racket at the international airports.

The E.O. is exactly what the war against illegal drugs need – to make officials accountable and responsible for their inaction to address public issues. Specifically, the barangay officials, police chiefs, and yes, even mayors will have the E.O. like a Damocles’ sword hanging over their heads.

It is possible that it can be misused for political purposes by detractors of the officials but that’s the risk they face for holding offices of public trust.

The filing of the administrative case can lead to the suspension from office by the government or police official who is found accountable for “Neglect of Duty” under the doctrine of “command responsibility.”

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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