Sack PNP chiefs in jueteng areas

EDITORIALs

The reported emergence of jueteng in parts of northern Luzon lends credence to the observation of concerned individuals and groups that the illegal numbers game wouldn’t be able to operate if local and police officials within its areas of operation haven’t allowed it.

The top honcho of the regional police headquarters in the Ilocos Region said they are still validating of there is indeed jueteng in Pangasinan.

It has been two weeks since Ilocos police director Chief Supt. Orlando Mabutas said they would validate if jueteng is indeed in Pangasinan. Despite reports, the Pangasinan police chief denied jueteng has returned in the province.

Until now, the regional police command hasn’t yet made its conclusion on the matter despite persistent reports tht the illegal numbers game is indeed flourishing.

Mabutas maybe making sure that if he is to relieve, relocate or sanction police chiefs where jueteng operates following the “one strike policy” of the Philippine National Police, it should be justified.

In the Cordillera, regional police director Chief Supt. Villamor Bumanglag should also check pronto the reported rampant jueteng operations in Buguias and Mankayan towns in Benguet if he means business.

If both Mabutas and Bumanglag won’t be do something about reported jueteng operations in their turf pronto and sack their inefficient officers, the central command of the PNP should sanction or relocate the two to make sure that jueteng would not be in operation in their areas of command.

But if the top PNP hierarchy finds out that truly, there are no jueteng operations in Pangasinan and Benguet, then the two regional police directors should be commended.

Reporting public fund anomalies

President Aquino has encouraged the public to report incidents of public fund misuse or anomalies to the website of the Department of Finance.

The website http://perangbayan.com/index.php will entertain information relevant to graft, improper action, negligence, lavish lifestyle and other anomalous practices of civil servants. It will likewise receive reports of exemplary performance.

Mr. Aquino said the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs would file “highly visible” corruption cases every other week.

So to the honest but disgruntled government workers or those in the private sector, go on, report such anomalies. Let us see if such reports would indeed be acted upon, or such presidential pronouncements would just be that – pronouncements.