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Thursday, February 03, 2005
Espinoza: Cops’ intelligence network a failure
By Elias L. Espinoza
SPITE. The robbery the other day at East West Bank, which is right in front of a busy business center along Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City, was a spite on Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s public pronouncements that he inspired the summary killings of criminals.
After a lull in the summary killings, the robbers hit back, putting the police and the mayor’s Crime Suppression Team in shame.
Osmeña must admit there is a breakdown in the city’s peace and order. His efforts to curb criminality, which include providing the police more vehicles for mobility, are still not enough.
The police intelligence network, if ever there is one, is a failure. Daylight robberies can be prevented if the police are on their toes. With all due respect, our cops are just reactionary.
The adage, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” should remind Osmeña and the police on what measures to take to counter robberies and other crimes.
The crime prevention program of the police leaves so much to be desired. Even if all the suspected criminals in the city will be banished, criminality will stay since the City’s crime prevention program is not working.
You know, things would have been better had Osmeña kept his silence and let the police do their job. It is his pronouncements that spoil the work of the police.
After the surgeons at the Cebu City Medical Center resigned because of Osmeña’s acerbic comments, I don’t suppose he will bully the city policemen for their to failure prevent the robbery at East West Bank, which is not so far from the Cebu City Police Office.
SPACE. Due to lack of space in my Tuesday’s column, I was not able to reprint here the reaction of Brig. Gen. Rodante Joya, airport police division manager of Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), to my comments regarding the safety and security at the airport. Allow me to reprint his reaction.
“We read with great interest your columns on Jan. 25 and 27 regarding security at the MCIAA, and so these rejoinders.
We would like to inform you that the security and safety of airline passengers at the MCIAA are never compromised. We optimize the use of our remaining operational x-ray machines and perform manual inspection of check-in cargo when there is a need to do so.
Of course this procedure is tedious and results in the inconvenience of many air travelers. That is why we need new x-ray machines. We are praying for the early resolution of the case of the five x-ray machines under court injunction, whichever side wins.
Also, as far as I know, the services of the security guards were contracted with the heightened alert against threats of terrorism following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. MCIAA published an invitation to bid for security guards last March 2004, but no agency responded.
Right now, we are again tendering an offer for security agencies to bid for the services of security guards for the MCIAA. Included in the terms of reference is that the guards must comply with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization for aviation security training before deployment to security posts of an airport.
Meanwhile, there is no parking anywhere within the immediate vicinity of the MCIAA main terminal building. The arrival area is in fact always closed and opened only during airline flight arrivals.
The diagonal yellow lanes in the middle of the arrival road are loading bays only. Unattended vehicles are not allowed because of the ever-present danger of a car bomb. The security violations come from motorists who continue to disobey this “no parking” policy and other airport rules and regulations.
We appreciate your concern on security at the airport and through your column, we sincerely request the cooperation of all airport users to follow our rules and regulations to lessen the threat of terrorism at the MCIAA.”
(February 3, 2005 issue)
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