BULL’S HIT

Who’s on the take from bar operators?
RUDY GARCIA

Are the Baguio officials tasked to regulate those day and night establishments serving liquor strict and serious in implementing city ordinances? The answer lies on the hands of the city mayor’s office and the permits and licensing division. Their attention is needed for establishments who don’t have business permits or those who failed to renew their permits despite given long period of consideration.

Take for example those adjacent videoke bars along Dagohoy Street. Most of them, if not all failed to renew their permits this year, considering that it’s almost the yearend. I wonder why they are allowed and can continue operating without first acquiring the required license. I don’t want to think that some people at the city mayor’s office or the permits and licensing office are protecting those videoke joints at Dagohoy. Are they getting favors from the operators of these joints, reason why they don’t care or dare inspect them? If not, then they should immediately let loose their field inspectors and check their reports. How about it ladies and gentlemen? Umaksiyon naman kayo! ***
I have been calling the attention of concerned Baguio officials and the police to look after another matter of concern regarding those overpasses used by unscrupulous people as places for doing their illegal activities. It is there you can find a lot of vendors selling their wares much to the inconvenience of the passing public. It is also there where a lot of criminal elements like snatchers, pickpockets and even hold-uppers do their illegal trades and unsuspecting victims easily fall prey to them.

I have been receiving a lot of complaints mostly from people who were victims of snatching, pick pocketing, holdups and even physical injuries in these overpasses especially at the U-shape over pass along lower Abanao St. and Harrison Road. Most of these victims were so disgusted at how the police responded to their complaints considering that the overpasses were built purposely for the public to pass by with utmost safety and convenience.

True, we sometimes see the cops doing their rounds in the area but most of the time, no policeman or even a single barangay tanod could be seen at the overpasses especially during busy hours and at night time, the reason why criminal elements can easily do their trade there and walk away without being apprehended or caught. In relation to this, I would like to call the attention of the authorities to look into reports by my bubwits that some of these criminal elements plying their trade at the U-shape overpass are making the videoke joints and billiard halls at the top floors of Maharlika building as their hang-out areas.

Usually, they seek cover inside these joints right after running away from their victims, and allegedly some security guards in the place are in cahoots with them because they partake of some of the loot taken from the victims.

Maybe, the city council through its committee chairman on public order and safety could find sometime to sit down and discuss this problem. If they can do legislative moves to address the problem, the better. And how about recommending those public order and safety division men in black to do the job of sweeping away those criminal elements like what they are doing to those hard headed vendors? Maybe they can do this better. Right, engineer Greg Delijero of the city Public Order and Safety Division Office? Well, this is not meant to add heavy load to the good POSD chief but knowing him, he can do it with his two hands down. Di ba boss Greg? ***
Speaking of the POSD, may I also ask them to go after those pirated VCDs and DVDs openly on display along the sidewalks of lower Session Road, lower Mabini St., Upper Magsaysay Ave., Rajah Soliman, Lakandula St., Chugum and 1st Kayang St. I’m sure they are also aware of the pornographic DVDs on public display that are affecting the morality especially the children who happen to pass by. By giving them the mandate and authority, more so in the absence of the local optical media board or OMB, I think this ragtag POSD men in black can do much better than existing authorities like the police, CIDG and the NBI who seem to be inutile in going after these illegal trade selling of VCDs and DVDs, along the public major thoroughfares! Ano pa ang hinihintay natin mga bro sa POSD? Go, go, go.
***
There is a reason for every peace loving citizens to be alarmed on what is going on with our peace and order situation, like the explosion at Glorietta Makati and recently the bombing at the Batasang Pambansa building. And now, while I was making this column, I saw the news in TV of a shooting incident inside a courtroom at Las Piñas Rizal. These incidents should serve as a warning that peace officers especially the police in Baguio should be more alert and vigilant to avoid untoward incidents and or city folk could suffer the same fate.

Of course our police officers need the cooperation of the community if we want to improve peace and order in this city. We don’t want to happen what transpired inside the courtroom at Las Piñas. Security measures should strictly be implemented within and inside the Baguio City Justice Hall Building. Firearms or any deadly weapons should be deposited and should not be allowed to be brought inside the bldg. the same that our authorities should bring back the proper regulation of security personnel recruitment and monitoring, inspections of security agencies.

It has been observed that some security guards lack proper qualifications and trainings to be qualified professional watchmen. Blame this on some security agencies who just recruit anybody who will accept a low salary offer disregarding qualifications and personal backgrounds of applicants. If this will go on unchecked, then, it is no wonder why security guards sometimes are ridiculed and become laughing stocks. Partly saying, prevention is better than cure!
***
Whatever happened to the “shame campaign” of Baguio city officials who repeatedly were announcing to the public that they will be imposing this kind of punishment to anyone found violating the waste segregation policy of the government? Those honorables might have thought that this was the better if not the best way to inform the people, and let the people know they mean business. But this seems to be more of a caution than encouragement.

You see those city officials who made this pakulo and did a lot of blah! blah! blah know what is happening right now with our garbage problem. A lot of hard-headed people still don’t follow the waste segregation rule, and yet, these officials are still reluctant in implementing their shame campaign. They should have at least done some sampling to prove the public that they are not putting their words on their mouths as papogi and more so a scare tactic. If they cannot implement, why not totally scrap this shame campaign and think of other appropriate ways to encourage the people? They should not wait for our beloved city to be stinking on every corner because of these uncollected piles of garbage. It’s a total embarrassment if others will call our city “The garbage City” instead of a “Character City.” Shame on them!