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Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Wenceslao: Barangay captains as Cafgus
By Bong O. Wenceslao
I could not imagine my good friend, Busay Barangay Captain Yody Sanchez, walking around with an M16, ammo belt wrapped around his robust body.
Really. But it looks like Mayor Tomas Osmeña is bent on making a spectacle out of the barangay captains in Cebu City’s hinterlands. And some barangay chiefs? They’re ecstatic.
The mayor’s logic: Since the police lack personnel, he might as well issue the rifles, the better for the barangay captains to secure their turfs. In short, Osmeña wants village chiefs to do the tasks reserved for the police in the mountains. Isn’t that the same argument for the creation of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu)?
But here’s the catch. Cafgus, before they are armed, are conscientiously trained then placed under strict supervision of soldiers. (Even with that setup, abuses still do crop up now and then.) Barangay captains-cum-Cafgus, on the other hand, won’t be under the supervision of the soldiers. Their “superior”? The mayor, of course. Now, get the drift?
Besides, I assure village chiefs that carrying an armalite rifle requires more responsibility from them than just possessing short firearms. Because they are the ones with the high-powered gun (tanods only have paltiks and olisi, right?), barangay captains are forced to lead in the fighting during clashes. They can’t hide with their M16 in tow.
I mean, it’s one thing using an M16 as psy-war instrument; it’s another to use it to secure the barangay. Or it is one thing to strut around with an M16 to intimidate people; it’s another to fire it while you are being fired at. In the films, extras that get shot stand up after the director shouts, “cut!” In real life, those shot are killed or hospitalized.
I therefore find it unfortunate that Police Regional Office 7 Chief Silverio Alarcio Jr. just couldn’t find the guts to tell Osmeña of the dangers of arming village chiefs and of the strict regulations on the use of high-powered guns. (As for Acting Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Gayotin, he has no other option but to say amen to the mayor, has he?)
Anyway, I think some barangay captains, especially the women, did have the sense to reject the mayor’s offer. But then again, if there are papolis-polis Cebu City councilors, I would say there are also many papolis-polis village chiefs. So maybe some of them want to be Cafgus. Let it not be said, however, that they weren’t warned.
TEXTREAX. For Joseph Yap Estrera, a researcher, the dream of US commonwealth-hood and statehood for the Philippines just won’t die. As proof, he wants me to open this website: a.domaindlx. com/dcpiphilippines.
(khanwens@yahoo.com/0915-9228651/for my blog: cebuano.wordpress.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 7, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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