“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”
― Abraham Lincoln
Bad news coming out of the Philippine National Police (PNP) seems like isolated cases of misbehavior or recalcitrance of some bad eggs in the organization, but a keen observer of political issues such as my friend Jonathan dela Cruz sees even a sinister side to it.
There are just too many of these cases involving policemen in various kinds of criminal activities and administrative failings that there must be a deeper explanation to this. As columnist-writer Mauro Gia. Samonte would say, one has to seize the thread that binds every single event, and you will arrive at the truth, you will understand why these things are happening.
Dela Cruz, a long-time former government official who served in both executive and legislative offices, and now a top Karambolista, said there is finger-pointing and splashing of blame in certain units of the PNP for the sorry state of peace and order in some parts of the country, particularly in the more populous centers as Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila and Calabarzon.
The incidents he cited are the raids and the concomitant events leading to the complete busting of illegal POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and Porac, Pampanga—which looks like just one huge illicit operation.
The responsibility for these illegal activities lies on the shoulders of the Porac and Bamban police and local officials, initially that is. But going further, the responsibility extends to the provincial police directors of Pampanga and Tarlac, and extends further to the Police Regional Director of Region 3 and the governors of the two provinces.
The finger-pointing continues, and no one knows when and at what level it would end.
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And then, there is Pasig.
Four members of the Pasig Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team have been relieved by the Eastern Police District over their presence in a private business marketing event in Pasig City.
Brig. Gen Wilson Asueta, EPD director, said in an interview with the media that the four SWAT members are assigned at the Pasig Police Station, and they attended the event in their complete uniforms, with some carrying firearms.
The four are under the custody of the Pasig police pending the result of an investigation.
The four were relieved after Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. received reports, complete with pictures, of SWAT members participating in the soft launch of a networking company in the city. The photos went viral on social media.
Asueta said the four were invited to the event, adding they did not realize photos taken would be uploaded on social media.
While the organizers of the marketing event already apologized to the policemen, the harm has been done and the cops now know better. Their chief said the invitation was done in good faith but had the opposite effect.
Here again, Jonat dela Cruz sees another ruse being played to a certain police unit, this time the Pasig City police station. Of course, he might be wrong, but in this time of policemen jockeying for higher positions, there is a strong possibility that Jonat’s analysis is accurate.
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“It’s a free country,” said President Bongbong, in reaction to the announcement by the Vice President that her father, Rodrigo Duterte, and her two brothers are planning to run for senator in the elections next year.
“It’s a free country. They’re allowed to do whatever they want,” President Marcos said when asked about the reported plan of the three Dutertes to run for the Senate in May 2025.
Vice President Sara Duterte recently announced that her father and brothers, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte, will run for senators next year. Baste, the youngest of the Duterte siblings, is also eyeing the presidency in 2028, Vice President Duterte added.
Marcos is correct when he said it is still too early to talk about the 2025 elections or the 2028 presidential polls.
“We’re talking about 2028, dami pa pangyayari (a lot can happen) between now and 2028. And the only real situation will become clear sa (in) October, sa (in the) filing [of candidacies],” the President said.
“Then we will see really kung tatakbo ba talaga, sino ba talaga tatakbo, sino, kanino sasama, which parties are involved, which parties are in alliance, dun lang natin makikita sa Oktubre so all of these announcements, tingnan natin kun matutuloy pagdating sa Oktubre (By then we will see if they will really run, who will run, with whom, which parties are involved, which parties are in alliance. We will only see it in October so all of these announcements, let's see if these push through when October comes),” he added.
Marcos is the president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), one of the four main political parties that form part of the successful UniTeam Coalition in the 2022 presidential polls. Aside from PFP, also in the coalition were Lakas-CMD, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and the regional political party of Sara Duterte, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). Marcos and Vice President Duterte were running mates under the UniTeam Coalition.
As the October deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy nears, more and more people are anticipating and guessing who will be the candidates in the elections.