Deretsahan
Proud of Sto. Tomas
By Bebot Villar
I AM mighty proud of the achievement of my hometown Sto. Tomas, especially after Senior Superintendent Ronald Lee told the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last week that all ten (10) barangays of the town are “drug – free”!
In fact, he said out of 1,364 barangays, only our 10 barangays are drug–free! We relish that pronouncement of our PNP Provincial Director because it is a product of hard work spanning many years.
I was mayor of Sto. Tomas for more than twenty years and it has been my priority to make the town drug–free so our citizens will continue to live as a peaceful community without fear or apprehensions. It’s the only way our people can pursue any legitimate endeavor without any risk to their security and safety. This was continued by my wife who was mayor for three terms and sustained by my nephew, Mayor Timoteo “Dick” Villar, who was also recognized recently by the Dangerous Drugs Board for his efforts in keeping the town drug-free.
Mabuhay ang aking mga kababayan at ang ating bayan ng Santo Tomas!
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Going back to the pronouncement of our PNP Provincial Director, 1,074 barangays or 78.74% of all barangays in Pangasinan are considered as drug–affected. Ang nakakatawa, 280 barangays are “unclassified” because the Anti–Drug Abuse Councils in these barangays remain inactive, or in other words, may katamaran ang ating mga barangay officials sa mga lugar na yan!
Aren’t these people familiar with Memorandum Circular 2015-063 of the DILG mandating all barangay officials to revitalize their Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils or BADACs? Sa nasabing Circular, “revitalize” na ang nakalagay at ang ibig sabihin nito ay “strengthen” o palakasin.
Kaso, dito sa nabanggit na 280 barangays, hindi man lang nag-activate ang BADAC? “So what would be revitalized, e hindi nga naitayo ang BADAC?” Anyway, the Circular provides that there will be sanction for these lazy types. Sana masampolan kayo ng ating Presidente!
* * * *
It seems that the national media have’ zeroed in on the so–called “extra judicial killings.” This issue has even reached the august halls of our Senate, apparently because of the wrong notion that the killing of known and perceived drug personalities is state is being sanctioned and with imprimatur from the President himself!
Before we discuss the issue further, what is an extra–judicial killing?
The Operational Guidelines of Administrative Order No. 35, Series of 2012 of the Department of Justice provides for four requisites:
First, the victim was either a member of, or affiliated with an organization with political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes; is advocate of above-named causes; or a media practitioner; or mistakenly identified as one of such personalities;
Second, the victim was targeted and killed because of his actual or perceived membership, advocacy, or profession;
Third, the person responsible for the killing is a state agent or non-state agent;
Finally, there was basically a deliberate intent to kill the victim.
* * * *
Having known these conditions, would the killing of drug personalities be considered as extra–judicial killings? Definitely not! Bakit sa Senate investigation pinalalabas na yong mga pinatay na drug pushers as “extra–judicial?” Are some personalities trying to link the killings to the President and his agents?
The President is merely implementing the promise he made during the election campaign: that he would squarely address the problem of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption in the country. However, this doesn’t mean that he would be shooting and killing drug pushers and users left and right!
What if these killings were perpetrated by rogue law enforcers who are out to “silence” their former assets who may know a thing or two about their involvement with illegal drugs? What if these murders occurred because of “turf war” between or among syndicates?
Kasalanan din ba yong mga yon ni President Duterte? Ano ba kayo?
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