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| Vol. XX No. 43 |
January 03, 2001 |
Virac, Catanduanes |
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The Catanduanes Tribune Rawis, Virac Catanduanes, Philippines - 5001 Tel. No.: (052) 811-1267 or 811-2640 Fax No.: (052) 811-1267 E-mail:
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Publisher-Editor Edwin A. Gianan |
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Advertising- Circulation Manager Simeon G. Cueno |
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Web Master: Calgary, Canada |
INSIDE PAGE
by Fernan A. Gianan
Time
for PNP revamp
It's
confirmed. Some officers of the Philippine National Police in Catanduanes
are either on the take or actively involved in illegal activities.
A
source who refused to disclose his identity said that most of these
officers are protecting smugglers of illegally-sourced lumber while a few
are behind the PNP's inaction on the illegal "loteng" game being
operated by a known hardware owner.
It
is safe to say that the anomaly is no secret to PNP provincial director
Col. Rolando Olat Gonzales, who is giving up the command early this
January 2001 in favor of a higher Crame post. It disappoints observers
that it is in the tenure of Gonzales, who traces his roots to Viga, that
the law enforcement's see-no-evil policy took hold. Early in his term,
Gonzales vowed to rid the province of all illegal activities, including
illegal logging and illegal gambling.
Coming
in to replace him is a certain Col. Panin from the Visayas command, a
former regional director of the PNP Maritime Command. Panin, though, is
not optimistic of his chances here as he has no sponsors.
An
insider says anybody appointed as PNP commander here has to have a
sponsor, preferably the governor. It would not help his chances of staying
a bit longer if the governor happens to be at odds with the congressman,
who is perceived to be "malakas" with Crame.
It
is precisely the foreseen encounters in the coming electoral campaign, to
be ignited by the smoldering conflict between Sanchez and Verceles, which
Gonzales wants to avoid. Apparently, he has had enough of the politicos'
war, which has seesawed from plain pettiness to sky-is-the-limit
mudslinging, involving unfortunately even the personal lives of newsmen on
each side.
We
hope Panin, whether or not he finds a sponsor for his stay here,
institutes changes in the command structure by removing the deadwood and
protectors of illegal activities.
Let's
wish he does not fall into the trap every provincial commander falls into
- looking for `hot' money where there is none and trying to please Crame
generals through monthly gifts of furniture and other things that would
naturally impoverish a "clean" officer or force him to consort
with unscrupulous elements of the community.
Association
with local politics has tainted, to some degree, the way the Philippine
National Red Cross serves its beneficiaries.
PNRC
Catanduanes chapter officer-in-charge Dave Templonuevo, Jr. says that with
the province becoming too politicized, the people's dependence on
politicians is working to the Red Cross's disadvantage. As a result, many
constituents know PNRC only as a dole-out agency that makes itself visible
with its truckloads of relief goods after every typhoon.
It
may be recalled that in the past years, many town executives were lukewarm
in their support of the humanitarian organization, particularly when the
PNRC's objectives clashed with the political agenda of these little
Hitlers. There was a time when one mayor refused to cooperate with the Red
Cross's relief effort as the latter concentrated its limited resources on
a barangay not in the mayor's list.
One
way to counteract to this problem is to train and maintain a large pool of
volunteers, preferably youths, whose devotion to Red Cross work would be
such that they could not be cajoled into using Red Cross in any political
activity.
Another
is to convince town mayors, councilors and provincial officials of the
fact that the PNRC's mandate is to help the government as an auxiliary,
that the delivery of basic services, including disaster management,
remains the province of LGUs.
Incidentally,
there are several members of the Board of Directors of the local Red Cross
chapter who are themselves joining the fray this February 12.
Among
them are PBM Lily Evangelista, PBM Edwin Tanael, PBM Fred Gianan, Jr.,
Panganiban vice mayor Gregorio Angeles, Caramoran councilor Neil Asanza,
DZVC's Jo Buena (who's aiming at a seat at Virac SB), Chronicle's Nap de
Luna, and board chairman Mike Concepcion.
This
prospect has led PNRC secretary general Lourdes Loyola to suggest that any
member of the Board of Directors who will file a certificate of candidacy
for the May 14 polls must file an official leave of absence. If elected,
he or she must give up the post, particularly if he is an officer of the
chapter board.
She
said that in considering the passage of a measure outlining in
black-and-white the procedure to be followed in such a case. Barring such
a measure, the 24-man BOD is left with the discretion of judging the
impartiality of a member who enters politics. In any case, it would be
better if a member, who intends to dabble in politics or is already
drowning in it, is barred outright from seeking any post in the BOD.
