Regrettable “wrong na, mistake pa”

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

IT is regrettable that the Brian Lim administration in Dagupan City chose to use the P4.3 million fund originally allocated for installation of CCTV cameras and solar street lights in 17 barangays to subsidize unidentified projects of barangays.

The installation of CCTV cameras and solar lights in barangays were supported by the past administration clearly with the intent of helping keep the barangays in the city safe, its residents protected from criminals because the cameras and street lights are effective as deterrent.

The DILG is presently wrapping up the process for the launching of its ‘Safe City’ program with the installation of more CCTV cameras in cities initially in Metro Manila, with one objective – to keep criminals at bay.  To date, I was informed that only five cities in Metro Manila will initially be covered by the program starting January. 

But since the full implementation in Metro Manila will eventually be dependent on the availability of funds, Dagupan City should consider itself fortunate that it already started the process on its own without depending on the national government.

It’s truly a shame that the opportunity and immediate benefit to barangay residents in Dagupan had been shelved in favor of unidentified barangay projects. In our book and those who’ve been recipients of such funds in the past know fully well that the allocation of funds for unidentified projects is the first indicator of corruption. Being unidentified, the barangays will not be held accountable for the “project,” meaning the full amount can be pocketed by the barangay kapitan.  But even assuming that that’s how a barangay kapitan is additionally compensated, it should not have been done at the expense of the residents who stand to benefit from installed CCTV cameras in their communities.

If there’s one ill-advised ‘wrong na, mistake pa,’ in governance this is it. Mayor Brian better pray that no resident is victimized by a criminal and justice cannot be obtained because there was no CCTV footage that could have identified the criminal.

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CHAIN OF CORRUPTION. Last week, PDEA came out with a statement that there are already some 186 local syndicates operating in the country.  Statistically, that would mean there is at least one in each city, or 2 in very province or 10 in very region.

What damage can local syndicates do to our country? It starts with barangay kapitans turning a blind eye to peddling in the streets. Then a connivance with the police, then a protection from a councilor, then the mayor.  The level of corruption can be ascertained by regularity of arrests in towns by PDEA or PNP. 

If reports of peddling in a barangay are known to residents and no one is being arrested, there is connivance between barangay kapitan and the police.

If news about peddling are rampant in at least two barangays and no one is being arrested, corruption has reached the mayor.

In Pangasinan, it shouldn’t make anyone feel safer if there are no news of arrests of drug suspects in the province. On the contrary, only news of arrests in one city or town is an indication that our law enforcers are on the job.

If there are no arrests, and one hears of addicts having regular supply, it should be cause for worry. Someone is protecting the drug group in the community.

If there are 186 groups operating in the country, how is it possible that 60 percent or more of our barangays have been or continue to be declared as “drug-cleared”?

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SHOULD BE DRUG-CLEARED BARANGAY, NOT TOWN. The PNP and PDEA should altogether stop their campaign seeking to declare barangays as either drug-free or drug-cleared. These labels have become meaningless because of administrative requirements that a town/city must comply with. To give way to it, buy-bust operations are put on hold because of pendency of declaration by PDEA. 

The only practical and measurable accountability in the drug on war is the declaration of drug-cleared or drug-free barangay!  Why so? Because it is the residents who know what goes on in their community! They can easily validate a declaration of drug-free or drug-cleared.

At the same time, it makes barangay residents vigilant. 

And, the declaration’s shelf life should only be three months. A barangay that manages to keep its declaration as drug-free or drug cleared over 4 quarters should be amply rewarded by DILG-PDEA and the town/city.

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