Saturday, March 31, 2007 Editorials: Ascendant Filipino women
THE start of the campaign for local posts in the May elections means that the attention of government officials and especially law enforcement units will be focused on the task of preventing election-related violence from breaking out in any area.
To a certain extent even, the elections have been on the radar of officials a few weeks before the deadline of the filing of the certificates of candidacy on March 29.
It may not have been mere coincidence then that an upsurge in major robberies, some of them turning violent, happened during the same period, and surprisingly failing to generate the same public uproar that similar criminal acts did months before.
Interestingly, most of the violent robbery incidents, together with the hit on Rural Bank of Bacong in Pakigne, Minglanilla town, spared Cebu City---which either showed how effective the anti-crime moves of the city police have become or were tactical.
Or that robbers merely turned to less predictable target areas.
Anyway, to Acting Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria now falls the task of attending to poll tasks while at the same time solving the bank heist and violent robberies in his jurisdiction and preventing similar incidents from happening. And Valmoria’s predicament should prod top police officials to make sure that they can provide a balance between attending to the usual peace and order concerns and meeting their tasks in the elections.
There’s fight in city, province
At least the political opposition in Cebu City and the province did not disappoint voters who want to be given a choice in the May elections.
Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos in Cebu City and Rep. Antonio Yapha in the province may look they are just being prodded to run against Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, respectively.
But their taking the challenge has made the race for mayor and governor worthwhile.
While the opposition in Cebu City and in the province can be considered as relatively unprepared, they still are capable of springing some surprises, which is what an election should be about.
Now the ball is in the court of the voters, who need to make an intelligent choice, one not guided by blind loyalty or money.
