Punchline
Not a babe in the woods
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
DID Urdaneta Mayor Bobom Perez actually say he will ban Muslims in his city during a flag ceremony?
Seriously? Not on your life. The Perezes of Urdaneta are not the neophytes who can afford to be reckless in their statements. In fact, politicians worth their salt know that the son is a chip off the old block being an astute politician. A seasoned politico like Mayor Bobom does not go against a block unless the latter directly and openly threatened his physical and political security.
It’s elementary, Watson.
So how and why Manila Times could believe such an obvious yarn? As former publisher of The Times in late 90s, reading that story floored me as well. The charge that the mayor has been a protector could perhaps be a plausible story if only for the sake of making him lose sleep but the story about a Muslim-ban is just incredible. What could have been more a credible story perhaps was a statement attributed to him that he wants all Muslims in the city to be accounted for in order to clear and protect the law-abiding and productive Muslims in the city. But he didn’t. Or a statement directing all barangay kapitans to account for all Muslims in their barangays to measure the growth of migrants to the city. But he didn’t. In brief, that news report simply had no leg to stand on whatsoever because it was attributed to Mayor Bobom, he who is no babe in the woods.
To ban Muslims unilaterally like they are a pariah will not only be risking expulsion from public office but risking serious threats to his own life.
So what gives? I can only surmise that the reporter certainly risked a libel case that I hope he knew he’d have difficulty acquitting himself unless he can find at least 10 city hall employees who attended the flag ceremony to testify in his favor.
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THE OPEN SECRET. The totally unexpected total recall of the police force of Asingan town speaks volume about officialdom of the town, from the municipal level to the barangay level.
What I don’t understand was the shroud of secrecy over the purpose behind the sacking of the chief of police and everyone under him. The reason is already much too obvious since the PNP leadership’s order for a major revamp is to further intensify the war on drugs. Then all the new replacements are trained for close quarters-combat, not for community relations, ready for a shooting war! Against whom? Who else but the armed and dangerous drug syndicates and their protectors in Asingan!
So why couldn’t Acting Provincial Director Ronald Lee bring himself to be candid and blunt about the situation in Asingan? The town’s residents are well aware that there is rampant illegal drug trading in the town, so the news about complete police pullout would have the sent town rejoicing. So what was all that tiptoeing around the town’s officials about?
Mr. Lee should learn a thing or two about decisiveness and transparency from his Chief PNP, Director-Gen. Bato dela Rosa, the guy who minces no words and who tells it like it is – and earns a lot of respect for it.
Frankly, The PUNCH has been receiving information from Asingan residents, mostly complaining about the open drug-dealing in the town. And many wondered why the town’s elected officials, from the mayor to the barangay kapitans and the police act like the three proverbial Mizaru monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. It should be the weekly thousand reasons, I guess.
To validate the residents’ claims, I viewed the official Facebook account of the town and I was flabbergasted to see that there was not a line of concern about drug problems in the town unlike most other towns. Could the citizens of the town, with varying economic background and status in life be lying about the same thing?
What I’m certain about now is Mayor Heidee Chua and all her officials will have to do better than to deny that her government was remiss in combatting illegal drugs.
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PUTTING THE MOUTH WHERE THE MONEY IS. There is no denying that extra-judicial killings are happening in Pangasinan. Hitmen are either kidnapping their victims and executing them, and dumping their tortured bodies. Or simply casually shoot them on sight.
By all means, the extra-judicial killings must be stopped but human rights advocates are off their marks when they make it appear that most if not all of the extra-judicial killings are the handiwork of law enforcers operating as anonymous vigilantes. Tsk-tsk.
Sure, our law enforcers must be pressed to seek to stop the summary executions, meaning police must be more pro-active in deterring the killings on demand, seek out the ‘vigilantes’ but to imply that they are the executioners is preposterous.
But the government is at war against criminal elements to protect us. So, I seriously doubt if our police have enough personnel and resources to investigate killings by both the ‘vigilantes’ and police operatives while hounding wanted drug lords and pushers all at the same time. And how can they stop drug syndicates from killing their own? So, if the human rights advocates know of a way how these can be achieved by lowly paid and ill-equipped law enforcers, then they must say so and prove it. Failing that, to merely cry with shrill voices over the deaths of drug suspects is not helping at all.
The bleeding hearts must do more than chant protests and flood media outlets with their petitions contra our police, blaming government for inaction or cover-up. I find it outrageous that they find it righteous on their part to quickly invoke the human rights of criminals who are being targeted, yet fail to invoke anything for the innocent victims whose rights the criminals mutilated with impunity.
For a change, they should take the cue from Police Provincial Director, P/Sr. Supt. Ronald Lee. He has taken the extra step to protect communities – he is offering cash rewards for information that could lead to the arrest of drug lords and pushers in their communities. Through the rewards system, communities are urged to help protect the rights of the rotten drug suspects while seeking justice for the rights of the violated.
So, let’s challenge the human rights advocates and bleeding hearts to put their mouths where their money is. They can either help the government fight and win this war with the reward system or help government set up and support rehabilitation facilities.
If they can’t do either, they deserve to be totally ignored!
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PDU30’s CALL VS. ILLEGAL FISH PENS. There was one topic in PDU30’s SONA worthy of note but I doubt if even just a few in Dagupan can even recall any of it.
The President took note of the unregulated operation of fish pens and cages that threatened the ecological state of inland and coastal fisheries. Citing the negative impact of pollution and overfishing in Laguna Lake, he directed newly appointed DENR Sec. Gina Lopez to review municipal and national laws on fisheries.
I hope the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Dagupan City Agriculture Office and the Sanggunian Committee on Fisheries took note of that. So far, we have not seen any serious unified effort among the three units/bodies to protect the city’s rivers.
The CENRO sees and hear no evil at anytime. It could very hold office in Pozorrubio and nobody would know the difference. The city agriculturist is being led by the nose by influential illegal fish pen owners. Not only does she allow violators to continue to restock on fingerlings, it allows them to harvest without penalty before issuing an ultimatum for the removal of the pens and oversized fish cages. Then sanggunian committee is playing the safe hand by refusing to make either the CENRO or CAO accountable. Worse, it doesn’t find it necessary to penalize violators.
I hope PDU30 will not find any reason in the future to cite Dagupan City as an example of how indifference and absence of a common vision can destroy rivers and coasts of communities even if they had all the resources and capabilities to succeed.
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