Editorial
Under the gun
Has Pangasinan become a province under the gun?
Governor Amado Espino Jr. apparently thinks so, which is why he has imposed a ban across the province and ordered the police to make sure that his directive is implemented.
To demonstrate how serious he is about this matter, the governor, himself a former police officer who at one time served as chief of the Pangasinan force, has daringly pronounced that he will go as far as the frontlines to personally undertake inspections and carry out arrests if need be.
Indeed, Espino has every reason to be gravely alarmed.
The list of gun slayings in the province – whether politically-motivated, gun-for-hire contracts, simple personal vendetta, or a complicated brew of these and all sorts of perverse reasons – is long. Worse, many of these cases, including those involving prominent local personalities, remain unsolved. And the worst part is, perpetrators of gun-related violence is often linked to our elected public servants, the high-ranking local government officials who have been entrusted by the people to work for the interests and welfare of the community.
The shooting in Tayug two Fridays ago could very well go down in Pangasinan’s postwar history as among the most appalling: In broad daylight, the bodyguards of no less than the town’s highest officials, Mayor Carlos Trese Mapili and Vice Mayor Janet Zaragoza, acted like they not only control the law but own the town.
The public can easily speculate on the why behind this inexcusable public offense, and the very first thing that comes to mind is that the politicians now control turfs through their private armies, a.k.a. armed security detail.
As police statistics show, the gun is one of mankind’s most lethal inventions today and should never be placed in the hands of dim- witted, power-tripping, bodyguards. Guns, like leadership authority, entail major responsibility. But many of our politicians have other ideas on how guns should be used.
The Pangasinan police is due to receive, for the fourth time, the annual award for best provincial police station, a citation that does not merely acknowledge its infrastructure but more importantly its exemplary performance as a force and its service to the community.
The governor’s order for a gun ban will be another test for the provincial police to prove their worth not only just to implement the ban but more importantly, to maintain what Espino describes as a peaceful Pangasinan.
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