Sangil: Bondoc dropping gubernatorial run?

IN ONE of Philippine Daily Inquirer’s editorial, it somehow graphically illustrated the pros and cons of rounding up istambays. The editorial though erred in saying that rounded up tambays are thrown in jail. Not exactly true. Many are sent home after lecture and those violating local ordinances are held in the meanwhile till they are inquest.

The PDI quoted former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, an appointee of former President Noynoy Aquino which was posted on Twitter. I also want to quote here what was quoted by PDI. ‘It empowers the police to arrest anyone they don’t like. It is a virtual license to harass and extort from citizens; powerless citizens are the only likely targets; women are particularly made more vulnerable.’

This is the view of those who disagree on the raging issue. ‘ the anti-tambay order of President Duterte May come off as no more than a long needed community-corrective- a way to cleanse the streets of eyesores, idlers, loiterers, drunks, and generally suspicious folk, the way the ‘war on drugs’ has supposedly swept away alleged lowlifes and their cohorts and made entire neighborhoods safe and respectable again.’

So there you have it folks. There are always two sides in a coin. In this country, if an issue is brought up and became a running story of national newspapers, expect disagreements. Don’t feel sorry for it. It’s healthy. It’s a democratic space. The Duterte administration is not simply content in fighting proliferation of illegal drugs but by reducing the possibility of an increase in street crimes. Personally I think that’s laudable particularly the concentration of the campaign is Metropolitan Manila and other densely populated metropolis. The cops should only be careful in violating the rights of those who are taken to police precincts.

I am convinced that our kababayan Philippine National Police Director Oscar Albayalde and the top cop of the National Capital Regional Office General Guillermo Eleazar (a personal friend and a member of our Monday Club and Wednesday Club) will play their proper role and exercise caution and all their actions are within the legal and moral context. We should prefer a government with transparency in all directives rather than making punitive actions in secret. Laudable is media’s role here. Bits and pieces of information on this latest government drive are being fed to the public. The local government units (LGUs) should also reinforce the drive vs loiterers and this is by way of enforcing passed ordinances.

*****

Political roundup: The latest news is that fourth district Congressman Rimpy Bondoc dropped his plans to run for governor. Instead, Bacolor Mayor Jomar Hizon will make the attempt, according to Ray O. Dizon a cousin and constant companion of the mayor. He may opt to get re-elected and get the plum position of the House of Representatives’ majority floor leader which will be left vacant by Ilocos Norte Congressman Rodolfo Farinas... Jomar’s sister, City of San Fernando Councilor Angie Hizon will run for vice mayor. Under who, no reports yet.... The clamor is stronger each day for former Congressman and Mayor Oscar Rodriguez to get back to City Hall. But the talks among dopesters is that incumbent Mayor Edwin Santiago is unbeatable because of a large campaign chest...In San Simon, former Mayor Digos Canlas is returning back to the municipio and reclaim the mayor’s seat. The incumbent Mayor Leonora Wong will conclude her third and final term... The latest unofficial survey in the forthcoming mayoral race in Angeles City shows Balibago Barangay Captain Carmelo ‘Tarzan’ Lazatin is ahead in the pack and both Clark International Airport Corporation President Alex Caugiran and Vice Mayor Bryan Nepomuceno neck to neck for second place and Irineo ‘Bong’ Alvaro in fourth place.

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