Thursday, January 10, 2008 Espinoza: Former presidents should stay retired By Elias L. Espinoza Free Zone
CONVICTED for plunder, former president Joseph Estrada must still be in euphoria over the restoration of his civil and political rights after he was pardined. He wants to run for president again in 2010.
Wake up to reality, Erap. Your time is over. You have done nothing good for the country to make you worthy of a second stab at the presidency. Give the other able and capable presidential bets a chance to run this country.
Granting that former presidents are not barred by the Constitution from running again, I don’t even think former president Fidel Ramos can be a better president if he wins that post again.
With all due respect, past presidents are better honored if they remain retired. It would be a great disservice to our country if they run in the 2010 presidential polls.
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Government agencies are usually good at damage control but not in prevention. This goes against the adage, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”
The incident that led to the death of SPO1 Pedro Sucion and the wounding of PO2 Darius Conejos when criminals shot them while they were responding to a shooting alarm in Mandaue City was a case of disregard of police procedure.
In reaction, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Chief Ronald Roderos ordered the retraining of policemen on close-quarter combat and Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes promised to put lights on dark streets and provide the police with vehicles.
Of course, Roderos could not personally control how policemen in the region, particularly in the metropolis, act or behave but command responsibility puts him in the line of criticism.
Roderos is a good man. I came to know him when he was still a junior officer. I played tennis with him twice. Call me superstitious, but it seems lady luck is not on his back while heading PRO 7.
Since last year, the police in Metro Cebu suffered casualties from work-related to non-work-related incidents. This is aside from the bad apples in the police ranks.
Under this circumstance, Roderos and his team should go back to the planning table and work for a more responsive, reliable, and effective police force.
Meanwhile, the problem of unlighted streets in Mandaue or other cities in Metro Cebu is not new. That was there even in the previous Mandaue administration.
It is disgusting that Mandaue City officials are only acting now on unlighted streets in the city, particularly in the reclamation area, which has become a hub of nocturnal activities.
Worse, the promised vehicles for the city police are still in limbo because the mayor and the opposition-dominated City Council could not agree on their brand. What’s in a brand, anyway?
Mandaue city officials should make up their minds on the matter before further harm is done on the city’s peace and order.
The City Government should also light up the dark streets not only in the reclamation area but all over the city to prevent crimes. They ought to know that lighted streets deter the commission of crimes.
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The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Easter Visayas will hold its 8th Eastern Visayas Regional convention on Feb. 6-8, 2008 at Sabin’s resort in Ormoc City. Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Puno will be the keynote speaker.
Host IBP governor for Eastern Visayas Ever Escalon said lawyers attending the convention will earn 18 units credit for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.
Escalon said lawyers attending the convention should not worry about their court appointments because judges in the region have been notified of this IBP activity that the Supreme Court has sanctioned.
