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Thursday, February 03, 2005
Mongaya: Where death squads thrive
By Anol Mongaya
A READER, in a text message, admonished me to keep quiet instead of continuing to criticize the current salvaging spree by the Mayor Tomas Osmeña-inspired Cebu City death squad. This demonstrates one thing particularly wrong with vigilantes. They display an inability to withstand criticism. This is why death squads thrive in dictatorial environments.
Another reader, in another text message, expressed confusion on what is right. While there are Sun.Star columnists who passionately criticize the vigilante way of combating crime, others equally eloquent support salvagings.
I think the free exchange of ideas is healthy in a democratic milieu. This then poses the challenge for the public to sift through the various ideas and make up their minds on what is right.
Unfortunately, the public sometimes decides in favor of undemocratic shortcuts. World War 2 history tells us the German people approved the rise of Adolf Hitler. Majority of the Filipinos also backed the imposition of martial rule in 1972.
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The arrested suspect in the East West Bank robbery is reportedly also involved in the robbery and killing of a collector. The guy is apparently involved with a group unfazed by the death squad.
The gang may be right in their assessment of the vigilantes who only targeted the small fry. When the police finally caught the gang member, they needed him alive to identify his companions (and perhaps for performance record purposes). Obviously, the police and the death squad did not have an idea beforehand who had been conducting spectacular heists. Cell phone snatchers ra intawon ang kaya. Inig bira, kadto pa gyung nagtalikod, gitaptapan na o natulog.
With his arrest, Junard Saladaga now has the chance of possibly enjoying due process guaranteed by law. But this does not mean we don’t want him convicted and punished for what he has done.
But somebody should tell Cebu City Police chief Melvin Gayotin that the arrest of one suspect and the identification of gang members do not mean the crime has already been solved. The police should arrest all or majority of the suspects then follow through with the evidence and testimonies needed to convict them.
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While the Arroyo administration crowed about the 6.1 percent growth of the economy, it seems the benefits have not been widely spread. Salaries of ordinary employees and laborers remain the same even as they share the burden of solving the fiscal crisis through the increased value added tax.
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The Mactan-Cebu airport managers should do something with the quality of the facility’s security guards. Not especially trained with airport and aviation security, we are courting disaster.
(e-mail: superbalita@sunstar.com.ph or anol_cebu@hotmail.com/text 09179761193)
(February 3, 2005 issue)
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