Saturday, November 03, 2007 Carvajal: Commending PNP and Citom By Orlando P. Carvajal Break Point
REWARD the right and punish the wrong. But as an opinion writer I must admit that I tend to look in the direction of what is wrong so the concerned people can right it. It does not help that in our current situation, one does not have to look very hard to see the wrong while the right is so much harder to come by.
However, on All Saints’ Day I did find a right. What the PNP and Citom did to ensure a peaceful and orderly celebration of All Saints’ Day was simply commendable. I watched them do their thing and I couldn’t help being impressed. I commend the PNP and Citom contingents assigned at Cempark for the wonderful job they did in disciplining drivers and pedestrians and keeping the whole celebration just by that much more pleasant for everybody concerned.
What happened was they had the will to keep order and discipline. They did what they had to do and that is to make everybody follow the day’s traffic rules especially that part which prevents vehicles from parking inside and near cemeteries. Because of this, my four-hour stay at my late mother’s grave last Thursday was probably the most pleasant of all my visits to her grave and she’s been dead since 1974.
For the first time I felt there was reverence for the dead in the orderliness of the living. Together with the complete absence of loud music, gambling and rowdiness the PNP’s and Citom’s political will in enforcing order made for a very pleasant stay at the cemetery.
The orderliness did not just happen either. The PNP and Citom had to make it happen because enough drivers pushed them to the limit of their patience. I saw how drivers challenged the rules of the day until they saw the tow truck and realized this time the peace and order keepers meant business. At least one driver could not find her car anymore because it had been towed away for violating the no parking signs that were posted all over the place. Somehow I just did not feel sorry for her.
The day, however, was far from perfect for me. I was approached by a young girl with a solicitation envelop. Our law enforcers should not allow solicitors to exploit this day with unregistered fund drives although I must admit they are harder to spot than illegally parked cars.
I also noticed that there was more than the usual number of clergy dispensing prayers and blessings for a fee. It was centuries ago that the Rev. Martin Luther protested against the selling of sacred things like indulgences, prayers and blessings and I am surprised this practice continues to this day. The Church needs political will to stop this if it is not to muddle its divine mission in petty cash.
For the moment, therefore, I can only commend the PNP and Citom.
