Editorial: A tough task

Thursday, February 23, 2012

THE Davao City police have its hands full. A group of robbers are out to chide them, attacking the most helpless victim where the police are not looking. Just a brief glance away and the robbers strike. Usually women. There’s Marjorie Kwan, who was walking all by herself in broad daylight in a deserted street, just two houses from home, then there was 16-year-old Chanelle Adlaon and mother Zenaida, who were held up while on their way home aboard a tricycle in Puan around 9 p.m. Monday. Even as the two did not resist the robbers unlike Marjorie, the robber still shot Chanelle in the abdomen. Before them there was this hotel executive whose three-year-old daughter was snatched from her by two motorcycle-riding men and demanded her valuables while threatening to hurt her daughter. They were just waiting for a ride one evening when that happened. And then there was this visitor from Manila whose bag was snatched right in front of Victoria Plaza last week in broad daylight as well. In all these, the victims are females. Is this deliberate? We believe so. For women and girls are less likely to be able to put up a fight.

What happened to Chanelle, however, raises the ante in this worsening crime situation. It’s as if the robbers are sending a message to law enforcers: They can hurt and kill at any time of the day even when the victims would willingly part with their valuables, worse, they intend to hurt and kill.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who in the height of his popularity as the city mayor was touted “The Punisher” by Time has already expressed his outrage. But his angry words has been answered with a criminal act, a challenge has been accepted.

A photo of a dead suspect in a local television news social networking account is being shared from one account to another, everyone cheering, jeering, and asking for more and that photo that is being shared around on social networks has the vice mayor and the Davao City Police Office chief Ronald dela Rosa looking at body slumped on the ground.

Messages are being sent and received, battle lines have been drawn, as barangay officials are tasked to pitch in their help as well. How will all these turn out?

It will be too pollyannic for us to believe that people will now be safe to walk the streets as we’ve long believed it is. It’s not, and it will keep our people safer if we accept that as a fact.

But let us cull lessons from the past; the lesson of being a strong community against of caring people to help lessen if not totally thwart criminality. The barangay councils have already been taken to task, let us do our part and report to authorities whatever suspicious activities and movements are going on in our neighborhood.

Crime breeds in the dark, the ignored, and the neglected and only the residents themselves can truly shed light, give attention, and show concern. The authorities are there to use force where force is required, but the people should be the city’s ever-penetrating eyes and ears. This is our city, this is our community. It is up to us whether we allow it to deteriorate any further or prop it up as one that is responsive to all our people’s needs.

Let us all do our part and not delegate our responsibilities to shadowy elements who can just as easily turn their guns on us.