Manila, are you really safe?
‘#ManilaIsSafe’ may have been a trending topic on Twitter but YS decided to volt in with the Citizen Safe brigade to make it a reality. Here’s our unofficial guide to living a little safer in the city.
MANILA, Philippines - Ingat!” Do not underestimate the power of John Lloyd Cruz’s paracetamol commercial. It makes a lot of sense in a time when anyone — and we mean anyone — can become the stalked, the default cab driver’s victim or the after-party hipster who walks home vulnerable. No, vigilance is not paranoia. As Rock Ed head Gang Badoy puts it, “It is about you and the people you care about.”
Admit it, all the whining and ranting about what we “shoulda, woulda, coulda done” to resolve the Aug. 23 Quirino Grandstand ruckus is getting a little tired. Yes, the Philippines has gotten the infamous travel warning from the US Bureau of Consular Affairs (and them some) — in fact, we could be the most dangerous place on Earth — but don’t you think it’s time to shut our pieholes and start living more cautiously?
In lieu of recent events and the seemingly ancient crimes which we — the private citizens, the police force and the national government together — have tried to forget, we gathered some practical and sane ideas that will make our lives a little better. All thanks to never-say-die non-government organization Rock Ed’s Citizen Safe, “a campaign for urban safety formed in September 2009” after the murder of film critic Alexis Tioseco and journalist Nika Bohinc in their Times Street home — a few minutes away from the Aquino Family residence.
“(It’s) important to put that Citizen Safe is not an acceptance of things about the police. This is an acceptance of the recognition that time will have to pass before law enforcement steps up to raise the level of trust in our environment, where we move in our public places. Habang hindi pa nangyayari ‘yun, we have to be our own security force, diba? And how do we do that?”
Ace Esmeralda, owner of security risk management firm Ace And Associates, has been handling Rock Ed’s public concerts for five years now and there have been no major incidents ever since. The former Army Captain, who was assigned in Mindanao for eight years to command an army strike company of an Anti-Kidnapping Task Force, gives his two cents’ worth: “Please be reminded that there is no guarantee in observing these measures. Crimes against a person are situational. (But they) usually victimize those who are not vigilant.”
Read each item carefully as Badoy cites the case, Esmeralda lays down the do’s and don’ts, and YS demarcates the measures we need to take in times of danger.
Urban Safety Instructions: Home is supposed to be our refuge
The case: Ironically, Badoy seeks advice from her incarcerated students during her weekly poetry class at the New Bilibid Prison. “After the murder of Alexis (Tioseco), it was important that I asked it from all sides,” she explains. “What could he have done?” According to her students, Alexis could have called someone for someone to hear the incident. “Pag may tulong ka ng mga (If you have access to) technologies, go for it. How great it would have been if he had remote access to a webcam, something that operates on the net!’”
The moves:
1. Generally, crimes similar to what befell Alexis and Nika can be prevented with security awareness program to household staff and proper design of fences and gates. Gates should be designed so that homeowners can see who the people on the other side are.
2. Households can install an alarm system to alert neighbors and police units of intrusions or the suspected presence of criminals and ongoing crime.
3. Good lighting can discourage criminals while CCTV can help solve committed crimes. A visible CCTV camera may also discourage criminals.
4. Take note of the physical characteristics of robbers: height, size, voice, accent, eyes, lips, or face (if not wearing mask), clothes, weapons, and even their demands.
5. Generally speaking, to keep people secure, lock your doors, gates and windows always.
6. Own a dog.
Street Patrol
The case: “You should be careful when you’re talking on the phone. We always take it for granted,” says Badoy. The street is not our house. Giving out information in public like your next destination, schedule, and even little things, can be dangerous. “So it’s really a delicate balance of telling the right people where you are all the time and not letting the bad elements know where you are,” she adds.
The moves:
1. Speak in lower volume when in public areas. Coffee shops are the best places to overhear private matters.
2. When you feel in danger, run to a security guard or a building. Why? Security guards are better trained in emergency response.
3. If you think you’re being stalked, call a friend. Call your security department. Inform them of your situation. Describe the stalker or your location. Ask them to meet you at the nearest well-lit area. If possible, enter a hotel lobby and pretend to check in. At the front office counter, calmly inform staff that you suspect a stalker. If the stalker did not follow you, ask a friend or relative to pick you up where you are.
4. Shoulder bags should be constantly held under arms or at one’s front to discourage pickpocketing.
5. Exude vigilance and confidence when walking. Snatchers and thieves go for those who appear frail, weak and not alert.
6. Unless one is trained and has the confidence of Steven Seagal, do not resist a mugger.
Hailing A Cab, Hailing For Help
The case: We can still remember the unfortunate story of young woman in her 20s who was mugged and beaten up by a cab driver. What could she have done? “Strength in numbers, maximize technology. We do that all the time for marketing. We maximize social networks,” Badoy says. So why not use Facebook and Twitter for safety? “That’s why I like that people always tweet the license plates of the cabs. That’s a great practice, I think. If not prevent crimes, at least helps find the perpetrator.”
The moves:
1. SMS at least three people the license plate and name of the cab you get into.
2. Don’t ride a taxi with a suspicious looking or acting driver.
3. If the driver looks suspicious, pretend to call someone, preferably a male (while mentioning a male name like Papa, Kuya, Sir or even Tsip) and mention the taxi body number, name, etc.
4. You can ask the driver his name and relay it loudly over the phone. But don’t make it sound as though you are suspicious of the driver.
Computer graphics by TEKS PABUAYON Commuting Common Sense
The case: We’re all guilty of snoozing on the bus, train or jeep ride going home. “When I asked inmates in jail, the ones tried for kidnapping and robbery, they say they always prefer attacking people who look inattentive, tired, distracted or those with a lot of things in their two hands. Interestingly enough, one of the inmates said he never held up anybody who had an umbrella.”
The moves:
1. Stay awake on public transport. Look alert.
2. If the perpetrator has a weapon, cooperate and give in to his demands. Life is more valuable than earthly possessions.do.
3. Cooperate! Listen to instructions.
4. Take note of robbers’ physical characteristics.
After-Party Alarm
The case: What to remember when stumbling out of that bar or club.
The moves:
1. Check on each other when you part after a gathering or a party.
2. SMS each other if you got home safely. Always let someone else know where you are or who you’re with: parents, mentors, friends or siblings.
3. As much as possible refrain from “secret meet-ups” with people none of your friends know. If you meet someone new, always introduce him or her to family or other friends or classmates.
4. Students should always have at least one teacher whom they can call, especially when they’re parents are not around.
State of Emergency
The case: Start keeping emergency numbers on speed dial. Start living à la Rescue 911.
The moves:
1. Emergency Network Philippines (Police, Fire Brigade, DILG, Emergency, etc.): 117
2. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Emergency Number: 136
3. Chinese General Hospital: (02) 711-4141 / (02) 743-2017
4. Hospital de San Juan De Dios: (02) 831-9731 to 36 /(02) 831-5641 to 49
5. Makati Medical Center: (02) 815-9911
6. Philippine Children’s Medical Center: (02) 924-6601
7. St Luke’s Medical Center: Contact (02) 723-0101
8. The Medical City: (02) 635-6789, (o2) 631-8626
9. Text Fire: 0918-688-8888
10. National Operator: 109
11. Cebu Ambulance: 161
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On Sept. 18, Rock Ed Philippines will be offering a live safety forum at Route 196, Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. For details, log on to www.rockedphilippines.org. To air out anything in the name of alarm, e-mail ingat@rockedphilippines.org.
