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Monday, January 03, 2005
Nalzaro: a dose of their own medicine
By Bobby Nalzaro
THERE have been misinterpretations of my commentaries and opinions, both on radio and in my columns, regarding the operation of this so-called vigilantes group responsible for the rash of killings of criminal elements these last few days. In fact, there are allegations that I have a strong connection with the group because there were instances that some of the killings happened in areas I mentioned.
Maybe their suspicion was bolstered when, in a particular case, I was the first to identify the victim who was found strangled and dumped in a secluded area along N. Bacalso Ave., even before their relatives and homicide investigators were able to identify him. Mind you, I have been receiving requests from concerned city residents to deploy vigilantes group in some crime prone areas.
Santisima. But I have to state it here that I have nothing to do with this group. I don’t know if they are policemen or civilians. It just happens that we have a common stand in dealing with criminals in our midst. And for me, this is the most effective way of combating the rising criminality in the city.
A human rights official criticized my stand and called my opinion illogical, saying that what this vigilante groups are doing is a clear violation of human rights and unconstitutional. He claimed that we have laws and that the five pillars of the criminal justice system, four of which are under the government, are still functioning. We have to follow the norms and due process in dealing with bad elements in society.
He even underestimated my statement when I posed the question: Do these criminals observe human rights and due process when they kill their victims if they resist? It is illogical, he said, for a person who is intent on committing crimes to think of the human rights of his victim.
If this is so, my argument is very simple. Nganong ato mang kaloy-on ang tawo nga wala malooy sa iyang isig ka tawo sa dihang iyang gipatay o gitulis? I don’t know if this human rights official has any suggestions or a solution to offer to law enforcement and local officials on how to deal with the problem.
The human rights official claimed that killing criminals is not the ultimate solution because the root of the problem, which is drugs and poverty, is not being addressed. But is our government addressing the cause? Yes, it is very impossible to attain a crimeless society because crimes happen even in the most advanced countries. But with the presence of vigilante groups, we give criminals a dose of their own medicine.
We are not adopting yet the law of the jungle here. Our law enforcement agency, even with its limited resources, is doing its best to control crime. The community is also doing its share to help the other pillars, the prosecution, judiciary and penology. But these criminals don’t recognize and fear our laws and they refuse to reform. So better to eliminate them that way. (Bobby(at)sunstar(dot)com(dot)ph/09193181404)
(January 3, 2005 issue)
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