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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Editorial: Unsettling words, criminal reality
This increase in kidnap for ransom cases just before elections is indeed a noticeable trend. But it sounds even creepier when no less than the police chief admits it. We may be wrong, but what we perceived in his admission of such trend is a tacit admission that that is a fact of life that we have to live with.
LAST week as a Filipino-Chinese businesswoman in the national capital region was slain by her kidnappers just before the suspects were killed in a shootout, Police Chief Hermogenes Ebdane came out with an unsettling admission on television news at that.
That yes, there is an increase in kidnap for ransom cases just before election season.
This increase in kidnap for ransom cases just before elections is indeed a noticeable trend. But it sounds even creepier when no less than the police chief admits it.
We may be wrong, but what we perceived in his admission of such trend is a tacit admission that that is a fact of life that we have to live with.
It's scarier still that while the police chief candidly admits this, he didn't come up with much pronouncement afterward regarding what they are doing about the very serious problem.
And much, much scarier is the fact that all these blood money is being circulated within our electoral system, the broad majority not knowing which candidate has blood and criminal money in his hands. (In fact, many Filipinos think that the oodles of money in circulation during election season is mostly dirty).
It's sad that our country has reached this level; where politics is really nothing but sheer avarice and public service is nothing but consuelo de bobo; a token of gratitude for the votes of a people hungry for basic services and attention.
We just hope that we have not allowed our city to wallow in this condition just like we, as a people, have allowed our country to become. Here's to hoping that we can prove we are worthy of being Dabawenyos come election season.
(June 25, 2003 issue)
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