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Friday, June 30, 2006
Seares: ‘Panloloko lang’
By Pachico A. Seares
News Sense
By this time, with all the experience and technical savvy, police and media must already have some perfect foil to threats and pranks.
They still don’t.
They react the way their job requires. They rush to check.
Result: the threat or prank causes confusion and alarm, often wasteful and unnecessary.
“Panloloko lang,” said region police chief Silverio Alarcio on a reported threat to kill two mayors and two law enforcers, including Alarcio.
Practical joke. But how do police and media distinguish that from, say, a threat on private lawyers for Bantay Dagat chief Jojo de la Victoria?
Both were sent by phone text: cheap, easy, quick, almost untraceable.
Indicators may say they were implausible, ridiculous, or meant to reap publicity or just to get a laugh. But no one can be assured it is plain mischief, not murderous.
Cost
The cost of ignoring or minimizing a threat can be high. Private prosecutor Arbet Yongco and, later, de la Victoria were shot dead at their homes. They thought their job could not get them killed.
Thus, the scramble following most threats and pranks. But what else to do?
Police can be more cautious. Media can be less excited. Keep quiet or play it down until they are sure.
When police or media fall on their face, not even the public can laugh---the joke is also at its expense.
It's the prankster who can hysterically double up in mirth.
(Editor’s Note: A previously published column was re-published yesterday. Sorry for the error.)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 30, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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