Baguio PNP chief has a lot to clean up

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred P. Dizon

Senior Supt. David Lacdan, the new Baguio police chief has a lot to prove on his capability in maintaining peace and order in this bustling city.

He told a media forum he and his men “will try their best” to keep this mountain urban center peaceful, clean and green to sustain its title as the summer capital of the Philippines.

He said they will “strictly implement ordinances” against smoking, littering, truancy, spitting as these will be their “utmost priority.” Lacdan may have forgotten to mention other priorities like heinous crimes to include killings and rape which have been on a upsurge the past few months in Baguio. Pickpockets still abound including jueteng kubradors, our favourite illegal numbers game whose tentacles has imposed its code of silence or “omerta” among the You-Know-Who.

Lacdan also cited need to implement the city’s anti-peddling ordinance to clear streets, sidewalks and overpasses of illegal vendors. Another priority, he added, is increased police visibility in the 128 barangays.

On the city’s traffic problem, the police official said consultation with stakeholders must be done soonest to craft a traffic master plan by identifying off-street parking sites to decongest the city’s sidewalks from being used as parking spaces.

The new BCPO chief said he will also attend to rampant gang wars involving teens by strictly implementing the 7 pm curfew for minors saying public and private schools should keep students busy by providing them productive activities so they don’t get involved in crime or untoward incidents.

To each his own style and Lacdan’s priorities are well … let’s see, considering that Baguio is now becoming Las Vegas on this side of the globe. Jueteng is still there like other forms of illegal gambling including poker or pusoy which our bubwit says, is played by rich, powerful and influential personalities in joints near the central business district. Most players are reportedly lawyers who maybe raking in a lot from their profession with lots of money to throw, none at all, or just plain bored for lack of clients.

Baguio policemen claim they are not aware of several poker joints operating in the city. Hohoho, our bubwit snickers. But some cops say operators are playing them around. Some joints have reportedly only two or three poker tables so they could skirt around the law on illegal gambling (Presidential Decree 1602).

From at least two joints, one operating in a posh location south of the city and another at a carwash establishment, at least three more mushroomed reportedly “unnoticed” by police and city officials.

A ‘poker joint’ along Legarda Road, a few meters from the City Hall is reportedly perhaps the newest which reportedly enjoys “protection.” Maintainers and operators reportedly shell out P10,000 a month for a special police unit as “protection money.” “Only,?” our bubwit could only shake his head in disbelief.

Policemen two weeks ago, curiously swooped down one of poker joints at the central business district which used a billiard hall as front for the games and threw at least 10 players to the city jail. The others however seemed to be enjoying police and city officials’ “tolerance.”

Even the anti-gambling Roman Catholic and Protestant church groups in the city are silent on these poker gaming joints and yes, even on jueteng. Aficionados argue poker is not gambling per se. “It is skill,” a lawyer who regularly plays poker said. But other lawyers admit a game or enterprise is classified legally as gambling if luck and chance predominate over skill.

Lacdan, a member of class 1987 of the Philippine Military Academy said making sudden changes in the city’s cleanliness, beauty and peace and order cannot be done overnight but with cooperation of local officials and the community.

We understand if Lacdan cannot make motherhood statements in fighting crime in Baguio like eradicating jueteng considering that like anybody else in position in the PNP, they know, law enforcement is also an art like knowing when to shut up or utter words which magicians can only understand.