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Sunday, October 03, 2004
Pangilinan to Candabeños: Work for peace, dev't
By Joel P. Mapiles
CANDABA -- Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan urged Saturday the Candabeños, as well as local police, groups of farmers and barangay officials here to maintain law and order for the town to attract investors and to boost the local tourism.
The senator, who is also the Senate majority floor leader, stressed during the "First Candaba Seminar on Peace and Order" that "no business venture and eco-tourism effort by the local government would prosper if the law enforcers and the barangay officials fail to properly implement and maintain peace and order".
Pangilinan noted that the enforcement of law and order is not the sole responsibility of the police but a joint effort by the police and the community.
During the seminar, Pangilinan lauded the initiatives and dynamic leadership shown by Mayor Jerry Pelayo in uniting the people and the local officials of this town towards progress and development with strong emphasis in agricultural and aquaculture modernization and eco-tourism.
"With the plans and vision of Mayor Pelayo, and the strong support of the Candabeños, there is no way for this town not to achieve its dream of becoming number one in all aspects of endeavor towards real development," Pangilinan said.
As a gesture of appreciation to the unity and "bayanihan spirit" of the Candabeños, Pangilinan provided seedlings amounting to some P100,000 to farmers for the rehabilitation of farmlands severely damaged recently by typhoon Marce.
Pelayo said the town is now in the process of rehabilitating and replanting the farmlands, as it was the worst hit municipality in terms of agricultural and aquaculture losses which were estimated to have arrived at some P200 million.
Pelayo also said that the rehabilitation and development of this town is somehow hindered by the existence of the so-called "Bonnet Gang," which he hopes to reach out to through peaceful means and encouragement for them to go back to society's mainstream.
"We will also urge them to actively participate in the local development of this town without resorting to armed struggle," Pelayo said.
As this developed, Pelayo is optimistic that the town would become No. 1 in terms of peace and development.
This, as the mayor added that the police force in this town is now "highly visible," assisting local officials in community activities in line with their peace and order programs.
Insp. Jovencio Flores, this town's police chief, assured the people that there will be assigned policemen in every barangay whom the people could immediately approach in time of emergencies and untoward incidents.
Flores said their focus now is police visibility and alertness, even as he added that they will "do everything to erase the bad impression of the people to the police through implementing the total family and community approach."
Flores said they could not effectively implement the law and order without the cooperation of the local officials and the community, even as he asked them to work harmoniously with the police and help Mayor Pelayo achieve peace and prosperity for the next three years.
(October 3, 2004 issue)
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