Protect barangays vs. political vandals

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

The race is on for the national posts but it’s not as if it has not started as early as November for candidates, even for local candidates.

The surprise reversal of the rule on pre-campaigning by the Supreme Court last year opened the floodgates for early vote-buying and political circus in all quarters.  All too sudden, the barangay kapitans became kings, and the candidates became suckers for all comers.

Consequently, all candidates have since been on a frenzy vandalizing walls, trees, electric posts, empty lots plastering their names and photo-shopped faces in every conceivable place.  Nothing is ever sacred to the candidates anymore.  But the worst vandalism is the use of paint.

This early, I suggest that barangay councils in the province preempt the guile of candidates and their supporters who have no regard whatsoever for a community’s beauty and harmony.  They must act now before all is lost and will feel helpless at the end of the campaign period being left alone to repair the permanent damage caused by the candidates.

They ought to pass a uniform resolution that would exact at least P5,000 fine as penalty on local and national candidates who deface  and vandalize walls, road signs, streets, trees, etc.,  in their barangays by painting the names of the candidates. The candidates should also be compelled to remove the paint within 24 hours upon receipt of citation of violation.  Failure of candidate to comply with sanctions should result in total ban of his/her propaganda materials in the community.  In the case of national candidates, barangay councils can go after them by sending their violation notices to their national headquarters.

But to guard against possible dirty tricks of wily candidates, one camp painting name of opposing candidate instead to create trouble for the latter, tanods should go on a 24/7 patrol to protect their respective communities.

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WAR VS. ASSASSINS. Finally, we are seeing an improvement in the odds for survival by our politicos, businessmen, government employees and journalists. Another guns-for-hire syndicate has been neutralized. It does look like the police may yet win the war against the assassins.

Our cops deserve a pat on the back for a job well done for finally eliminating two deadly hired gun killers operating in the province. The Almeron-Andres Group is suspected to be behind at least 7 murders in the province that included a number of businessmen and one government auditor.

There are a couple more out there, we pray our cops will not rest after this feat.

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NEW CAREER FOR BARBA. Speaking of cops, it’s becoming more evident that Smiley PD Barba appears to be shoo-in for a successful career in public relations or ambassadorial post when he retires.

I sensed he had the makings of a pr man the first time he told his men to learn the art of smiling to win the trust of the public. But of course, a smile easily wins friends, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, a smile on our cops’ faces sent the wrong signal to the hired assassins. The hired guns went on a rampage under his smiley watch. But hey, it was a good initiative in the pr front.

Then he won solid brownie points from his boss, Guv Spines for wholeheartedly supporting and defending the indiscriminate issuance of shotguns to all kapitans. The kapitans cheered him on.

Now comes his “Kambing Diplomacy”. It’s a fantastic sound bite with a tinge of cultural revival. It’s a great idea and you have to hand it to him, a real pr coup that that made local PR practitioners look like washed-out pros!

But of course, a lot still remains to be seen after all the protagonists smiled for the cameras and signed a document promising a violent-free campaign period.  After all, it’s much ado about political promises, and making promises during an election period is what politicos are good at!

Let’s see if the diplomatic initiative will hold when the politicos and their henchmen begin drinking gin and beer with their pinapaitan.

But whatever, I say, three cheers for PD Smiley Barba for a timely initiative that helps calm the nerves.

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PINGKOY WITH NEW ADMINISTRATION. It’s official.  A Pangasinense will remain in the cabinet of the next president! Kudos to Dr. PIngkoy Duque, the country’s first doctor chairman of the civil service commission.  His appointment by President Arroyo was only of the very few that breezily passed the scrutiny of Congress. Like they say, you can’t put a good man down.

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