EDITORIAL

Imposing peace and order in the Cordillera

Cordillera police office under the leadership of new regional police director Chief Supt. Eugene Martin is apparently doing the right moves in making the region peaceful – at this time. One of Martin’s top agenda right after he assumed office was to impose radical changes in fighting crime in Abra and Kalinga.

Under his watch as head of Task Force Abra before he was promoted, he recommended that policemen of Abra be relocated in to other parts of the province as they were perceived as being henchmen of political warlords in the province, then reeling with high-profile killings. The effect – killings lessened in Abra.

Last week in Rizal, Kalinga, the entire police force of the town was sacked more than two months after nine people were killed in the town when government agents tried to demolish squatters’ shanties.

All 31 members of the Rizal police force, including their chief, Senior Insp. Renato Cairel, have been removed from their posts. The move was meant to dispel the notion that the police force of Rizal, where nine residents were killed when they fought it out with policemen during a demolition in the former Madrigal Hacienda last June 25, is biased.

At least 10 policemen were also hurt when the squatters, armed with high-powered firearms, resisted the demolition of their shanties. There have been complaints that the local policemen sided with a group involved in the land dispute so they installed a new police force in the area.

Cairel and his men were reportedly brought to the regional police headquarters at Camp Dangwa, Benguet “for training and reorientation.” Following this, about 100 men if the Regional Mobile Group were deployed to Rizal particularly at the former Madrigal hacienda.

Well and good. But the crime situation in Baguio is sadly going from bad to worse. Habitues in a popular nightspot for elder folks along Road were aghast two weeks ago when a group of male troublemakers manhandled a waiter outside the establishment. The waiter, who was on leave had to run to the establishment to hide or he could have been seriously hurt or killed.

The troublemakers, in their mid or late 20s stood outside the establishment and guarded the entrance so the waiter would not leave. This earned the ire of the other males who were drinking in the establishment. They confronted the troublemakers who became meek as lambs seeing they would be the ones who would be seeing stars.

Waiters dialed the police station so cops would accost the troublemakers who were being held by the male customers. They called the police to make the troublemakers play piano at the police station to no avail. It was only after two hours that a lone policeman came to investigate the incident. He was riding a taxi. By that time, the troublemakers had left.

Who was responsible for the delayed police response? Maybe Chief Supt. Martin could initiate changes within the city police like persons being sacked since it seems, the leadership of city police director Senior Supt. Moises Guevarra is a leadership of see-nothing, do-nothing. Being a native Cordilleran, Martin should know the effective way of dealing with crime and incompetent police officers.