Line of command responsibility

WE have reason to believe that the campaign period and the conduct of the elections in Pangasinan on May 9 will be peaceful, orderly and credible. It is encouraging to note that this early, both the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police are taking new initiatives to ensure that there will be no serious and violent disruptions, i.e., from reshuffling key officers, testing machines and augmenting law enforcers in target towns.

The news about the creation of a Special Operations Task Group (STOG) by the PNP leadership is another new initiative that is certainly welcome. However, since it is a team deployed from the PNP Regional Office, it is not clear who is tasked with final and ultimate responsibility.

Is it OIC-Provincial Director Edgar Allan Okubo or STOG head Marlou Chan? Who will report to whom? Unless this is made clear, we are afraid that the unified mission of both may suffer if the PNP leadership does not make a clear distinction of each one’s role and responsibility. Whom will the governor, provincial board, town and city mayors call on in case political violence erupts?

Many good intentions fail because of failure to delineate accountability and responsibility. This is one occasion when we can’t leave anything to chance.

 

Health immaterial

BECAUSE he was hospitalized supposedly for migraine, Rody Duterte was asked by his presidential rival Mar Roxas to disclose his complete hospital diagnosis.  Known for his sarcasm when dishing off a counter attack, Duterte said, “I would only do so if he (Roxas) could prove that he is tuli (circumcised).”  End of Roxas’ inquiry.

But seriously now, is there a need for our candidates to show us a clean bill of health?

Miriam Santiago had said she has survived Stage 4 cancer.  Can you believe that?  As a presidential bet, she has also rejected calls to reveal her health records.

If only to state the obvious, every candidate knows the punishing, almost deadly, demands of being president of the republic.  So why bother with health records at all?  A waste of time.

After all, if one is sick, is lucky to win and dies in office, there is always the vice president as instant replacement.  That simple.

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

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