Editorial
Ricaforte’s test case
SENIOR Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, Pangasinan’s new police chief, is taking over a province that was acknowledged as the most peaceful in Region 1 during the May 10 election. As he takes on the post, another election is coming up, the barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan polls scheduled on October 25. Keeping the peace this time could prove to be more tricky.
One particular problem area is Tayug, where there has been a series of killings, mostly believed to be politically-motivated and many involving barangay officials, right after the May 10 election. The death toll is now at 10, several others have been left injured, and the whole town is terrified. Ricaforte said the first thing he intends to do is meet with the town and city police chiefs to draft operational plans against criminal elements. We hope Tayug’s case is at the top of the priority list because the criminal elements have definitely been having a field day in that town.
We welcome Ricaforte with a fervent wish that he carries on with the peace that his predecessor, Senior Superintendent Percival Barba, is leaving behind as a legacy, and be able to immediately fix what has been left unresolved.
Sacred cows
AS our provincial and municipal leaders seriously take on the long overdue task of cleaning up Pangasinan’s rivers, one foul truth that has become perfectly obvious is that the rich and influential are the biggest culprits in destroying our marine resources.
They are those who consider themselves “sacred cows”, people who have the means and the tenacity to set up their illegal structure right after these have been painstakingly removed by the government’s task force. These cows can easily afford the investment and feel that they will be protected from their illegitimate operations.
Will they be?
It’s a question that our elected public servants, particularly the mayors, will have to answer. And they must remember that they are answerable to the majority of the people who voted and trusted them to protect the community and its natural resources for the greater good.
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