Deretsahan

By September 8, 2014Archives, Opinion

What’s happening to Pangasinan?

BEBOT VILLAR

By Bebot Villar

 

MANY friends have called, asking me, “What’s happening to Pangasinan?” Last week kasi, bumandera sa national media ang pamamaril ng isang pulis inside the Pangasinan National High School (PNHS) in Lingayen that resulted in the death of four, kasama ang tatlong teachers.

The other week naman, our friend, radio commentator and station manager Orly Navarro, was shot moments after he alighted from a tricycle on his way home in Dagupan City.  Orly survived the shooting, but the incident sent a chilling effect not only to Pangasinan media practitioners but to ordinary citizens.

So what is our police in Pangasinan doing, they asked. What happened to their motto “To serve and to protect”? They are supposed to be the people’s protectors, to maintain peace and order and prevent crimes from being committed. But in this case of the PNHS, incident, it happened inside the school and pulis pa mismo ang namaril!

Alam pala ng kanyang hepe sa Anda, and public knowledge daw, na the policeman has a lending business for teachers. The police chief in Lingayen also mentioned that iyong namaril na pulis already complained sa Lingayen police station na hindi raw siya makasingil sa mga pautang niya.

First question:  Is the policeman in a position to lend money? Is he financially capable to do a lending business? Pera nya ba talaga ‘yun or is he funded by someone? This is what should be looked into as well dahil alam naman natin na hindi kalakihan ang salary ng isang pulis.

Second question: Is a police officer authorized to bring his gun even off-duty? Di ba’t suspended pa rin ang permit to carry firearms outside of residence in the province? But why was he able to carry his gun? Dahil pulis siya, ganoon ba?

Off-duty naman daw iyong pulis noong siya ay namaril and no one could have known what was in his mind when he entered the school. But the crime could have been prevented if the police leadership strictly enforced its policy prohibiting policemen from carrying firearms while off duty and if the police leadership conducted regular psychological exams on its members.

Sabi nga ng hepe niya, iyong lending of the policeman sa mga teachers was a personal matter and he was doing it pag off-duty lang. Similarly with the teachers, iyong pangungutang nila was something personal. Kaya lang, dahil sa mga personal na mga bagay ng ito ay marami ang nadamay, lalo na ang mga PNHS students na hanggang ngayon ay takot na takot pa rin at traumatized masyado.

I have a feeling that it is not only the teachers at PNHS who routinely borrow from loan sharks. Baka marami pang teachers in other schools who are similarly situated.

DepEd officials in Pangasinan should start finding out kung sino–sino ang may mga utang at sino ang nag-pautang. Then it should have a policy na bawal maningil ng mga pautang inside the schools since these are of personal nature. Hindi dapat nadadamay ang mga ibang teachers and students who have nothing to do with the lending business.

Then higpitan pang lalo ang security sa mga eskuwelahan. Hindi dapat nakakalusot ang mga firearms sa loob ng campuses, kahit na pulis pa ang may dala, maliban na lang kung naka-uniform at naka-duty siya.

Sabi nga ni Education Secretary Armin Luistro: “We maintain that schools are zones of peace where the safety and well-being of students, teachers, and personnel are of utmost importance.”

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Sa third district ng lalawigan naman, many are wondering when their miseries from the heavy traffic dulot ng mga never-ending road widening projects, will end.

Ang pinakamadugo diyan is the Calasiao to San Carlos City road. Itinataas kasi ang mga bahaing portions ng kalsada from Barangay Mancup until Barangay Malabago in Calasiao where commuter jeeps and buses plying Dagupan-San Carlos at Dagupan-Bayambang route pass.

But what is making the travel from Dagupan City to San Carlos City more difficult is the closure of the Malabago Bridge in Barangay Malabago. Commuters and motorists have to take the circuitous and narrow barangay roads of Dinalaoan, Lumbang and Nalsian in Calasiao just to reach San Carlos or Dagupan.

Commuter buses from Dagupan going to Bayambang via Sta. Barbara are also forced to take the already problematic Calasiao route when the bridge becomes impassable because of flooding.

Asked ng isang tambay doon: “Eh, papaano kung lumubog ulit iyan sa baha, sisirain na naman nila para itaas?” Innocent question pero may sense. Why not look for the cause of flooding?  Sa tanong ng tambay, parang ayaw maghanap ng long-term solutions ang DPWH upang maagapan ang pagbabaha. Mahilig sila sa mga “Band-Aid” solutions, which are very temporary.

Paki-usap ng residents of central Pangasinan towns: please rush the completion of the road construction. Magpa-Pasko na, pero mukhang wala pa raw silang nakikitang malinaw na katapusan ng kanilang paghihirap sa pagbiyahe.

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