Mongaya: P-Noy as cop chief

THE Aug. 23 hostage debacle shocked Filipinos and President Noynoy Aquino with the reality that our police force simply cannot protect us and our visitors from hostage takers.

I remember during the day of the hostage crisis at Quirino Grandstand that Malacañang first assured that there will be no news blackout. This would have been great if the crack police troops surrounding the bus knew how to storm the bus in minutes, not an hour, and rescue all hostages alive. President Noynoy later said he delegated the handling of the crisis and refrained from micro-managing what seemed to be a police matter.

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Unfortunately, the real nature of our police force revealed itself live on television.

Now, President Noynoy wants to micro-manage the police. He has named himself police chief.

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I think the first thing PNoy should do is put in jail all erring cops, not merely transfer or dismiss them. For so long now, erring police officers are just transferred to cool things down and they eventually return. Those that cannot be saved by transfer orders are dismissed from the force. Only intense and sustained media interest nowadays gets abusive and corrupt cops in jail.

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The spate of robberies, more than the spread of dengue, in Talisay City has alarmed me. Yesterday, the third dog in the house my kids called “Creamy” because of his creamy color died. The first one we named “Dumpy” died three weeks ago also on a Sunday. The next Sunday, it was the turn of our Dalmatian “Bap-Bap.”

The symptoms were the same. The dogs would suddenly weaken on Saturday. By Sunday, they could hardly move their shaking legs and die in the afternoon at around the same time I write my columns for Sun.Star Cebu. I now believe somebody had been poisoning them because the three created a lot of noise whenever somebody came near our fence.

As of this writing, I am still thinking of reporting the matter to the local police.

But the police don’t inspire hope that something would get done to thwart determined robbers. Last year, I reported that somebody stole the electric wires at the post just outside the house. A lone policeman in plainclothes dropped by asking questions but that was the end of it. More recently, a house a block away was robbed. Despite such reports, not even the shadow of tanods could be seen patrolling the area. Perhaps the local “tigbantay sa kalinaw” are busy somewhere else more peaceful and crime-free.

I hope that my good friend CPPO chief Erson Digal will address the crime situation in Talisay City. Meanwhile, I’m calling on friends to give us an extra canine. As of now, I think a new batch of guard dogs would be more effective than bulay-og local policemen.

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The submission of proper documentation of the National Food Authority (NFA) rice now under the custody of the Bureau of Customs should facilitate the release of the shipment to the agency. It was gathered that the papers were lost for a time but were reconstructed and finally submitted. Under the NFA Private Sector Finance Rice Importation Program, submission of the proper documents should make it legal. Customs authorities are now assured of payment under a deferred scheme of duties and taxes from the NFA. It cannot anymore be held as suspected smuggled rice.

However, I don’t think this is the end of the story. National officials are reportedly looking into the NFA program which, according to the grapevine, was hatched under the auspices of the former first gentleman. The rice program also has become one major flash point between two factions within the Aquino administration.

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I hope the plan to get Finance Chief Cesar Purisima as guest speaker for the induction of officers of the Bosconian International Chamber of Commerce (BICC) Cebu Chapter would push through. The local business community certainly is interested in hearing his views on a number of issues so we will know the direction of the Aquino administration as far as finance and the economy are concerned. Cebu Customs District Collector Ronnie Silvestre, who is a former national Don Bosco alumni federation president and graduated from Don Bosco Pampanga in 1977, should be able to help us.

Meanwhile, Fr. Fidel Orendain, SDB, asked us BICC members to prepare for the planned visit of the relic of Saint John Bosco in the Philippines later this year. Among others, let me share that many believe it was the saint himself who miraculously saved Bosconians who were in the bus that recently fell off a cliff in Mantalongon, Dalaguete.

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