Scourge

It could be because Christmas is near. Or it could be because elections are not far off.

A series of gory, chilling, high-profile kidnappings the past few weeks sent shockwaves of fear through communities of the comfortable, through the enclaves of the industrious. The epidemic of fear is, understandably most intense among Chinese-Filipinos. Members of this community have been the most frequent victims of kidnapping syndicates.

The shockwaves of fear are made even more intense by the emphatic and brutal methods of recent kidnappings. Betty Sy, a brilliant young executive, was shot and left to bleed to death. The driver and nursemaid of a 10 year-old kid were both shot when they tried to resist the kidnapping of their ward. Last Tuesday, a 2-year old kid was snatched by heavily armed masked men who fired into the rood of the victims vehicle and smashed the windows.

The Chinese-Filipino community marched in force during Betty Sy’s funeral, demanding that the death penalty be implemented against convicted kidnappers. President Arroyo, standing her ground on the basis of moral principle and the findings of scientific research, has refused to lift the suspension on executions. She has instead promised to work for a more efficient anti-crime effort.

This time, the shockwaves of fear have greater compass, gripping a much wider social expanse.

This is because of the appearance of "retail" kidnapping: small-time gangs that take small-time victims and accept more meager ransoms. Spokesmen for the Chinese-Filipino community say that kidnapping syndicates take lower ransom in exchange for quicker deals and more numerous victims. In callous business jargon, they have opted for quicker turnover, lesser risk and no reporting of the incidents.

In the provinces, kidnappings are undertaken regardless of ethnicity or social class. The small-time gangs take a few thousand in ransom for middle-class victims.

Interior Secretary Joey Lina announced on television that one of the suspects under tactical interrogation suggested that the kidnapping operations were undertaken for political impact. But the secretary has not given specifics nor shown us hard evidence.

Nevertheless, it is conceivable that this could happen.

A politically induced crime wave may be calculated to influence voter disposition. Gripped by fear, they will vote out of fear. Voting out of fear, they might be inclined to choose candidates who claim to represent the solution to the scourge, candidates they will not be disposed towards in normal circumstances.

This has happened at other times and in other societies.

In the aftermath of the great depression, Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party precipitated disturbance and used thugs to create fear and confusion as well as to intimidate. In the panic and confusion, otherwise decent Germans felt constrained to vote the Nazis to power.

In the prelude to the imposition of martial rule, Ferdinand Marcos planted bombs and disseminated scare stories to predispose Filipinos to accept mailed-fist rule. After the long period of dictatorship, Juan Ponce Enrile, former Marcos henchman who was supposedly "ambushed" a few days before martial rule was proclaimed, admitted that the ambushes and bombings were contrived.

While conceivable, the link between wholesale manipulation of the public disposition and the spate of kidnappings will have to remain a stray theory until supported by evidence. There has been too much irresponsibility in public utterances lately. Let us not add anymore to the degradation of public discourse by pointing accusing fingers without enough proof.

Angelo Reyes has his hands full.

As chief of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (Naktaf), he grapples with an intractable problem while an anxious public demands immediate and visible results. The limelight is on him. So is the heavy burden of responsibility for quelling a criminal upsurge.

Every weapon in the armory of law enforcement is being deployed in this battle. The usual armory is now reinforced by increased funding for a credible rewards system. Prices have put on the heads of known leaders of kidnapping syndicates. The last few encounters with kidnap gangs have produced decisive, if gory, victories for our law enforcers. One major kidnapper who chose to resist arrest was riddled with bullets.

But the kidnappers are taking more victims than government is able to shoot down the rascals. It will take a lot more effort to convince our citizens that a rout is in progress, that the forces of evil are not just being decimated, they are being annihilated.

In addition to the expectations of an anxious and vocal public, our law enforcers also labor under great political pressure.

In order to counter charges of inept leadership, both the leaders of the police and the leaders of the Republic want convincing results. They want convincing results immediately.

The horizon is short. The campaign period begins in February. The ability to ensure peace and order for our citizens is a significant issue being raised before our voters.

A crime wave should not be allowed to distort our democratic judgment. It should not preempt a clearer, more comprehensive view of the national future. It should not constrain us into making emergency choices for leaders who will be at the helm for the longer term.

That is an awesome challenge.

The agitation is rising. Businessmen are threatening to pack and leave, shutting down their enterprises and bringing their money elsewhere. Talented young Filipinos are aching to leave, as well, not just for better paying jobs but also for more secure communities elsewhere.

A surge in criminality is always unhealthy. A surge in criminality during a politically sensitive period could inflict long-term damage on our national morale, on the dynamism of our economy and on the composition of our elite.

Angelo Reyes better work fast and impress us with results. We are aching to believe the scourge has been tamed, the epidemic contained and the host of evil men haunting our peace convincingly crushed.

Every inch of ground regained for public security will be relished.