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Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Sienes: Danny needs no pogi points
By Cris G. Sienes
Different Strokes
'Perhaps Militar has overlooked the fact that both applause and criticism are needed in civilized society.'
MILITANT groups in the city recently raised Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's hackles when they continued to blame the city government for all the killings in the city, including those of purportedly innocent persons like rights worker Jacinto Rashid Manahan.
Reports quoted the mayor as having said that he does not mind the city government being accused of killing criminals, but not of innocent people. This is simply too much. The mayor got all steamed up that he warned militant groups that he would get back at them if they persist in blaming him or the city government for killing innocent people.
This is not take sides. This column has always tried to be objective in commenting on important issues. But nobody can really blame the mayor if he reacted to the accusations the way he did. For nobody goes around killing innocent people for nothing.
As a former prosecutor, the mayor is fully aware of the need to protect innocent people. His tough stance against criminal elements in the city is meant to protect innocent city residents from terrorists and other criminal elements.
The mayor has also helped a lot of innocent people, particularly the poor. Through the Lingap sa Mahirap program, which he has placed at the Davao Medical Center, so many poor people have availed of needed medicines and medical treatment, which they could not otherwise afford.
Nobody wants people killed for the simple reason that life is precious. This column also condemns the killing of Manahan. But since the case is presently being investigated, it is only proper that we wait for the results of the investigation. As the mayor quoted Manahan's wife, after being informed of her husband's murder, she reportedly said: "Ah, gidayon gyud diay nila." The statement could be the key to the killing of Manahan.
It could mean that Manahan's wife knew of the threat to her husband's life and that she also probably knows who threatened her husband.
We all believe in due process. So until the results of the investigation are out, we should not blame any one group for the Manahan killing. In particular, we should not blame anybody or any group publicly. This is tantamount to putting them on trial by publicity, and this violates due process.
***
In one of the recent sessions of the city council, Councilors Danny Dayanghirang and Bonnie Militar exchanged unfriendly statements. And all because of Dayanghirang's proposed resolution commending the police for the quick solution of the Lanzona Subdivision massacre.
In Militar's mind, by presenting his resolution, Dayanghirang was merely out to earn pogi points at the expense of the city council. Militar also believed that Dayanghirang's resolution contradicted earlier resolution approved by the city council criticizing the police for not being able to solve the summary killings in the city.
Perhaps Militar has overlooked the fact that both applause and criticism are needed in civilized society. Applause or praise, when heartily given and devoid of flattery, elates the heart and can inspire people to do better. So does criticism when constructive and not, in the words of Emerson, "querulous, wasting, all knife and root-puller." We should thus criticize and praise when praise and criticisms are due.
To merely criticize the police is to presume that they are not capable of doing anything good. Which is not true. The police have helped secure the city from terrorists and other criminal elements. Too, they quickly solved the Lanzona Subdivision massacre. So they are capable of doing well too.
In our humble opinion, Dayanghirang no longer needs pogi points. What for? He is well known to us his constituents in the second district. He is a consistent top vote getter. During the last elections, in fact, he and Jimmy Dureza topped all other candidates for councilors in our district.
Still, we respect Militar's opinions. This is still a free country. Everyone has the right to say what he believes is right, just as everybody else has the right to comment on it.
Point to ponder: "Among the smaller duties of life, I hardly know any one more important than that of not praising where praise is not due." (Sydney Smith: Sketches of Moral Philosophy IX)
(September 22, 2004 issue)
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