Friday, October 17, 2008 Malilong: Cops at the sports center By Frank Malilong The Other Side
THE City Government does not want to rush to judgment. Or, to quote Acting City Mayor Michael Rama, they cannot base their judgment (on the cause of the flash flood in a section of Guadalupe last Monday) on public outcry.
Prudence is of course a virtue. Invoking it in the Dakit case also happens to be politically expedient since any decision that is made now is going to be costly, goodwill-wise, for city officials. If they rule against the developer, they could lose a potential contributor; if they decide against the complaining residents, they could lose their votes.
So let it hang while passions run high. In the meantime, let an “independent entity” conduct the investigation so that you can have a fall guy, just in case.
But what if another heavy rainfall hits the city and Dakit is flooded again, this time with more dreadful results? Oh well, there is always God to blame.
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The Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) has been crawling with policemen almost every morning during the last two weeks. No, they were not responding to any terrorist threat; they were there for their bi-annual physical fitness test.
I must commend the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership in the region for the dramatic change in the physical appearance of the policeman. The pot-bellied cop could be a thing of the past already, judging from the trim and fit-looking men and women in blue exercise uniforms that I have seen. Sen. Ping Lacson who, when he was PNP chief, set the policeman’s maximum waist limit at 35, must be proud of the organization.
What impressed me more was their discipline. Except during the first two days when some sneaked through the main gate by untying the plastic fastener, the policemen, including Central Visayas Regional Director Ronald Roderos, followed the route to the oval prescribed by CCSC Manager Ricky Ballesteros. And unlike other crowds, there was no pushing and jostling in this one while waiting for their turn to have their blood pressure measured.
One other discovery I made was that policemen share the same choice of means of transportation with the people that they are tasked to pursue. I have never seen so many motorcycles parked inside the CCSC until last week.
The police themselves have noted that many of the crimes in recent memory were perpetrated by men on motorcycles. Why don’t they re-visit their crime-busting strategy so that they can make use of the logistical advantage provided by the presence of so many motorcycle-riding policemen?
By the way, two weeks ago I sent a text message to Ballesteros to call his attention to the busted M.H. Lhuillier-maintained clock in the sports complex. He replied, saying that he was going to inform Councilor Yayoy Alcoseba so that the latter can inform Michel Lhuillier so that the latter can order the clock fixed.
I hope Ballesteros will bear with me and not begrudge me my right to complain since, unlike others who freeload their way to sports venues, I religiously pay the entrance fees. So just in case Ricky hasn’t noticed, let me point out to him that the clock has remained busted until now.
Why? I can think of three scenarios: 1) Ricky forgot to call Yayoy; 2) Ricky called Yayoy who forgot to tell Michel; and 3) Ricky called Yayoy who told Michel who does not want to have the clock fixed.
