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Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Malilong: Knowing our limitations
By Frank Malilong Jr.
The Other Side
While waiting for my grandson to finish his swimming lesson, I tried my hand at billiards. Thirty minutes later and with eleven balls still on the table, I surrendered to the inevitable. During that same period, I had sprayed the cue ball into all the six pockets 10 times and had pushed it out of the table and into the floor at least thrice. Bata Reyes, I am not.
It reminded me of that conversation we, then younger lawyers, had one Saturday afternoon back in the 80s. The talk had shifted to Michael Jordan and some of us were wondering if God had not been rather unfair in giving one man such immense talent. Then one of us (I think it was the late Arturo Fernan) remarked: “But does Michael Jordan know how to write an affidavit?”
God is fair. He gave each one of us our own unique talent and ability. Thomas Jefferson wrote the American Declaration of Independence but I doubt if he would have been able to do a break dance. Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity but he couldn’t write a poem. And, honestly, does Manny Pacquiao really know how to sing professionally?
God created all men equal but He did not give us the same talents. Can you imagine if He made all of us good cooks? We would all be obese by now. The point is that we just have to recognize our strengths and know our limitations.
This is what I hope our barangay captains would consider in dealing with the offer of the Cebu City mayor to arm them with Armalite rifles. I am sure that Tommy Osmeña’s proposal is well-intentioned and, I’d like to believe, so are the village chiefs.
But, to quote an oft-repeated saying, the road to perdition is oftentimes paved with good intentions. This is going to be one such road, I am afraid. Tommy’s idea is simply fraught with risks that far outweigh its advantages because it fails to consider the barangay captain’s limitations.
The Armalite is a powerful weapon. It can transform an untrained person into a despot. Also, possession of the powerful weapon would make the barangay captain a natural target of criminal elements. Remember the days of the agaw armas? Instead of protecting him, the weapon can actually harm him.
The mayor says that it is the constitutional right of the barangay heads to bear arms and invoked local autonomy over police supremacy in defending his authority to equip them with M-16 rifles.
Actually, the law, that the mayor cited, carries two very emphatic conditions for a village chief to possess a firearm: that it is necessary in the performance of his peace and order functions and that such possession shall be subject to appropriate rules and regulations.
I am not sure if the peace and order situation has become so bad as to necessitate the arming of barangay captains with assault rifles.
I do know, however, that the constitutional provision on local autonomy notwithstanding, it is still the police who issues licenses to possess guns or carry them outside the licensee’s residence.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 6, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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