Pubdate: Fri, 05 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Column: Sketches
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Ana Marie Pamintuan

PUBLIC SAFETY

It's good to hear President Duterte saying he does not like to kill, 
and he does not go for "salvaging" or summary executions.

Among others, he's referring to cases wherein suspects whose hands 
are cuffed behind their backs upon arrest are shot dead by the 
arresting cops purportedly after trying to grab the officers' gun.

That's what happened to the unfortunate motorcycle rider John dela 
Riarte, who was arrested by the police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) 
after he figured in a traffic accident and reportedly pounded the car 
with his helmet. Dela Riarte was shown in a video being punched 
several times as he was surrounded by a group of HPG and Metro Manila 
Development Authority traffic aides, and then being led away with his 
hands cuffed behind his back. Moments later, he was shot dead in a 
police car, with gunshots to the neck and chest.

No aggressive or unruly behavior, as alleged by the HPG, can justify 
killing an unarmed man with his hands cuffed. That arresting team 
will need legal acrobatics to be cleared of cold-blooded murder. This 
is not law enforcement but brazen lawbreaking and abuse of police powers.

If this abuse persists, cops will very quickly turn into figures of 
fear. This can discourage public cooperation that is indispensable 
for the success of any anti-crime campaign. And no grinning mascot or 
dummy of Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa will 
dispel that fear.

Worse, this kind of abuse will reverse the ultimate aim of this 
brutal anti-crime campaign, which is to make the public feel safe. 
How can you feel safe if you fear being murdered for the flimsiest 
reason by an approaching cop?

The other day as I was negotiating the northbound traffic along Roxas 
Boulevard on my way to our afternoon meeting at Malacanang with 
President Duterte, my car approached the intersection of Vito Cruz. 
The light was green and the car was crawling along in the middle of 
the intersection when we were stopped by two motorcycle cops, 
blinkers on and wang-wang blaring, coming from the Cultural Center 
area and ignoring the red light to let a white van with a backup 
white Innova pass.

When the VIP convoy had passed, we proceeded to cross the 
intersection since we were already in the middle of the junction, 
realizing too late that the light had turned red while the VIP convoy 
drove past. A man on a motorcycle, wearing a black shirt with 
"traffic elite" printed in the back and "Rider 14" in front, followed 
us and pulled us over. My driver apologized and we both explained 
that the VIP had ignored their red light and cut our path. Rider 14 
still ordered the driver out, saying he would decide whether or not 
he would issue a traffic citation. I told Rider 14 wang-wangs are 
supposed to be banned. Also, why he didn't he go after that convoy, 
which blatantly ignored the red light?

Since Rider 14 didn't like being told he might be wrong, I told my 
driver to just get the darn citation. I forgot to warn him that 
traffic cops are not supposed to order drivers out of their vehicles 
because of the possibility of kotong or extortion, and citations must 
be given through the driver's window.

Rider 14 wouldn't give a citation and we didn't want to buy our way 
out. They began arguing and I told my driver to kneel down in apology 
if that was what it would take for us to get out of there. Rider 14 
finally stopped when I asked who the jerk was in the convoy with the 
wang-wang. He claimed he didn't know. And then he drove away, in a 
motorcycle with no license plates.

The wang-wang ban was one of the more popular policies of the Aquino 
administration. President Duterte, who eschews VIP treatment when he 
can and avoids attending gatherings because, he told us, he doesn't 
like tying up traffic in Metro Manila, should reiterate this ban.

If he wants his anti-crime campaign to succeed, he may also want to 
make it clear to his shock troops that his full support for fighting 
criminality is no carte blanche for abusing state power and killing for sport.

I'm not the first to write about arrogance by traffic cops since the 
start of his administration. Police arrogance turns off anyone, and 
no smiling mascot will eclipse the memory of an unpleasant brush with cops.

Earlier this week I also spotted a white Innova with conduction 
sticker 3064 and what looked like a fake license plate, TYY 130, with 
"tax payer" written underneath. One problem with the new plates is 
that they are so easy to fake  all you need is black Pentel pen on a 
white background. On the left side of the plate was a Philippine flag 
shaped in the trademark Duterte fist. Are such plates legit, issued 
to a new privileged class?

The President was all graciousness and good humor during his 
hour-long meeting with The STAR the other day. We're glad he's ended 
his boycott of the media and agreed to meet with us. Almost 
everything we talked about you have read in the newspaper. The 
lighter details are in entertainment editor Ricky Lo's article today.

President Rody was candid, with natural downhome charm and a great 
sense of humor that proved to be formidable assets during the 
campaign. It was the first time that we were introduced, although I 
got to ask him a question about coal plants during the presidential 
debate in Cebu.

In person he is a gentleman, addressing everyone as "ma'am" and "sir" 
even as he uses colorful language in fielding questions. The ways of 
the gentleman are dying in the younger generations and therefore much 
appreciated.

I must say though that I noticed the same gracious manners with at 
least two other men who successfully parlayed their notoriety as 
killers to win high public office.

President Duterte has repeatedly said he doesn't mind criticism of 
his brutal methods. As you will read in today's paper, he also told 
us that if he went to hell, he would kick out Satan.

He is uncomfortable with the size of his new office - too many rooms 
at Malacanang - and is still digesting the "miracle" that brought him 
there, without the support of governors except Ilocos Norte's Imee 
Marcos and with only two mayors backing his bid.

President Rody sees his landslide win as a resounding endorsement of 
his promise to deal with the drug menace and criminality. It boils 
down to keeping the public safe.

And it won't be achieved if law enforcers are seen as the biggest 
threats to public safety.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom