EDITORIAL - A candid assessment

As expected, the leadership of the Philippine National Police immediately clarified the other day that the country is safe for foreigners. The clarification was issued a day after the PNP’s spokesman, Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, said it would do no harm if foreigners in the country hired armed bodyguards and used bullet-proof vehicles. "When we build houses," the voluble Espina told a media forum, "we put locks in them."

After that no-holds-barred interview, Espina has probably learned to put a lock on his mouth. Espina did tell the media that cases of ransom kidnappings have been going down. And he did defend the PNP’s track record by pointing out that victims who paid ransom simply encouraged more attacks and contributed to the growth of the kidnapping industry. But the damage he had inflicted on his own organization – at least as perceived by his superiors – could not be undone. All that the PNP leadership could do was reassure foreigners about their safety in this country.

While two American missionaries and a South Korean treasure hunter remain in the hands of kidnappers in Mindanao, foreigners aren’t going to be reassured about their safety here. The PNP can argue that those cases are far from Metro Manila, but kidnappings continue in the National Capital Region as well. Espina was simply being realistic and giving practical advice when he told foreigners that if they could afford it, they could go ahead and hire bodyguards and use bullet-proof vehicles. And Espina was telling the truth when he said even locals need to keep their homes well secured. He did not say it, but the reason there are so many gated, guarded villages in Metro Manila is because of the proliferation of crooks.

Filipinos don’t feel safe in the streets or in their homes. That’s a fact of life in the Philippines, circa 2002. How can foreigners feel safe? If it’s any consolation, Metro Manila is still safer than the West Bank and Gaza, or even New York and Washington, DC. The world has become an unsafe place. But that’s no excuse for slackers in the PNP. There are kidnappers to catch, apart from muggers, burglars and the neighborhood drug dealer. The PNP spokesman may have a mouth too big for his own good, but the public should give him three cheers for candor.