THE RULE OF THE RICH AND INFLUENTIAL — No one can categorically say what really happened to Asingan Police Station over the relief of 23 policemen last week, including its police chief.

I received a phone call from a mayor in Fifth District asking for the reason why, in case I was privy to it.

I said there are “rumors” but the police are mum about it. Perhaps that’s part of their code of silence amid issues hounding them.

The source asked if it has something to do with illegal drugs. I honestly said maybe yes but no elaboration about it.

Even Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo, one of Pangasinan’s best police chiefs who is set to receive twin awards during his stint as Pozorrubio Police Station stint, got the biggest surprise of his life when he was suddenly assigned to Asingan.

“Obey first before you complain” may have been the dictum followed by Manongdo, like any other uniformed men on orders issued them. No right to question the wisdom of their assignments. Just obey.

I took time to ask a municipal councilor of Asingan, known for being vocal and apparently close to someone very influential in this country. It was already evening last Wednesday but I purposely went to where my source was during the PCL (Philippine Councilors’ league, Pangasinan chapter) elections.

The councilor begged off swearing, with a coy smile, zero knowledge about it. “There are rumors, wild talks, but I don’t know about them,” the source said.

“In fact, some suspect me as behind the reshuffle. Am I that powerful?,” the councilor commented with a hearty laugh.

“Of course you are because of your link to someone,” I replied. Then the source left me with another smile.

Another reliable source, a police superintendent from another district, said reports reaching him point to someone very powerful who, for long years have been linked to illegal drugs for being a user, is not listed in the town’s drug personalities.

Another said it concerns about a partner of a local official who is eyed to have drug links but is not also listed as drug personality.

So many rumors, intrigues, suspicions. They remain as such for as long no one dares to clarify them. Kawawa yung napagbibintangan. But in President Digong’s all-out war on drugs, there should be no sacred cows.

Kung mahirap ang involved, madaling sabihin. Why difficult if he or she is rich, famous and influential?—Tita Roces

TEST THE BARANGAY OFFICIALS — Except for one congressman, no other official in Pangasinan was named in the list made public by President Rodrigo Duterte during that ungodly hour of Saturday in Davao City. Well and good, the local officials appear to come out clean as far as the drug problem is concerned.

But those who are really into drugs are not off the hook yet as, in the words of some Palace officials, it was only the beginning of his shame campaign against officials believed to have soiled their hands too long on illegal drugs.

Though the list only included judges, congressmen, mayors and ex-mayors yet, it must be expanded to include town and city councilors, barangay captains, their kagawads, ex-kapitans and ex-kagawads and even the officials under them. The police in every town and city must now have known grassroots officials who were into drugs and who waltzed with the drug pushers.

Myself don’t think that all barangay captains, including their kagawads, are clean as far as the illegal drugs are concerned. The report that more than 80 percent of the barangays in Pangasinan are affected by illegal drugs is enough proof that barangay officials paid little attention to this problem or worse could be drug users, traffickers or protectors.

In the case of Congressman Jesus Celeste of the First District, the only one from Pangasinan in the President’s list, he might yet get off the hook if he can back up his claim with incontrovertible evidence that his inclusion was politically motivated and was the work of his political opponent, which every Tom, Dick and Harry knows that it is hard to prove.

That is why, the regular random drug testing announced by Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino must not be confined to only among provincial capitol employees but must also cover barangay captains and kagawads. It’s about time we are really drug free. – Leonardo Micua

 

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