The peso’s growing stronger and stronger: What about the gangsters?

The peso strengthened again yesterday – great news for our country, including President GMA, who’s surfing this piece of good fortune more gleefully than she clumsily surfed in La Union a few days ago.

But what about the crimelords, gangsters, and killers – aren’t they growing "stronger" too? I notice a report in which it was revealed that 22 banks lost P90 million in 2005 to bank robbers. Can you beat that? The hijack of that FEDEX truck last December 17 in Dasmariñas, Cavite, by five armed men, who seized its cargo of MAXIM microchips bound from Gateway Industrial Park to the airport to be shipped to buyers all over the globe, netted the hijackers (led by the Calabarzon’s hijack "king" and most "powerful" fence) a haul worth no less than US$565,000 (or more than P30.5 million!). Imagine that, in one single raid the hijack-robbery gang grabbed one-third of the amount taken in 22 bank robberies by other gangsters.

Up to now, the police haven’t recovered any of the stolen microchips or electronic items, nor nabbed the very well-known Hijack "King" who’s reputed to swagger into hotel lobbies accompanied, on occasion, by four police bodyguards. Sanamagan. Those cops in his "security" group are only small fry compared, we hear, to the "brass" protecting this guy, who, by the way, even has an I.D. card (fake?) proclaiming him an agent of the PNP CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group). This isn’t the only law enforcement agency whose I.D. cards he reputedly can flourish. By golly, if you’re able to pose as one of the investigators, who’ll be able to "investigate" you?

In Cavite, crime struck again – this time when a Pasay Regional Trial Court Judge, the Hon. Henrick Gingoyon, was shot down by motorcycle-riding men while walking to his house in Bacoor, Cavite. He was, in fact, walking home from a neighborhood gym only 200 meters from his own home. The murdered Judge Gingoyon had already been receiving death threats, and rumor goes that he might even have made a deposition (where is it, if true?) naming who he believed "responsible" if he were to be slain. This murder must be solved with ruthless dispatch, no matter who did it, or planned it. Too many judges are being assassinated – and if "justice delayed is justice denied," the worst crime – sending a chill of fear through other judges in this land – is justice "murdered."

It’s ridiculous, of course, to attempt to link Judge Gingoyon’s death to his having rendered the "decision" on PIATCO as the media – for want of an eye-catching tag, perhaps – initially blared forth in frontpage headlines. (This newspaper was among them – I guess). What was funny, in a hilarious way, is the fact that Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs, Sec. Gabby Claudio, reacted by saying the government had nothing to do with it! Sus – who on earth was blaming the government?

Get those killers! Too much talk ruins the spoor of the murderers and helps them get away – with murder.

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Another ridiculous spectacle is the almost obscene jockeying for position on the part of aspirants for the post of Director of the National Bureau of Investigation – a position made vacant by the sad death of NBI Director Reynaldo "Wyck" Wycoco who was buried a day before Christmas.

All of a sudden, among other candidates from within the ranks, the police, etc., several RTC judges have been put forward (or put themselves forward) for nomination. I’m puzzled, if you ask me, why RTC judges who have a fixed tenure of office (until age 70) should be eager to become NBI chief – thus becoming a "casual" serving at the pleasure of the President – unless the job is more glamorous, or – naah – more, uh profitable?

At least four members of the judiciary have already been mentioned as in the running, one of them even an Asst. Court Administrator. Again, one of the four is an RTC judge who was a former Prosecutor and who allegedly is a "friend" of several nitespots along Quezon Avenue, seen attending their Christmas parties or hopping from one nitespot to another. Court personnel in the Hall of Justice where His Honor presides say that his chambers are frequented by a few interesting "friends."

The President must not rush to appoint a new NBI Director, but instead carefully weigh – and investigate – before pronouncing her choice as successor to the late General Wycoco.

The lobbying is intense, some NBI agents even letting it "be known" kuno that they would prefer a judge to another retired "general." Why would a judge be more effective? True, some generals are not competent, or have skeletons in their closet, too. But the test of a candidate is his character and track record. The NBI, which used to have a solid reputation as G-Men and gangbusters is already riddled with felonious agents – a far cry from the days of the legendary NBI Director Joe Lukban, or, more recently, those of Fred Lim. Put a weakling or a political wimp in the NBI Directorship, and the syndicate-protectors and drug "protectors" in the bowels of the bureau will run circles around him, or, horrors, recruit him.

The NBI’s performance is defined by its Director, and this agency under the Department of Justice, is a vital cog in our nation’s criminal justice system. This is no place for "hit or miss," Madam President.

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Another strange phenomenon is one of a ranking Deputy of the Philippine National Police "pushing" for his boss, PNP Director General and Police Chief, Gen. Arturo C. Lomibao, to be named NBI Director by GMA. This is because this star-rank bozo wants to be promoted to PNP Chief himself, once he manages to get Lomibao out of the way.

This fellow claims to be related to GMA – but this has been denied by a direct member of the family. He’s also – this is a heads-up cause for alarm – allegedly a "protector" of one of the biggest jueteng lords. (The one from Pampanga?) Salamabit. If this guy becomes PNP Director General and overall Police Chief, it may no longer be a case of cops and robbers, but the cops may be . . . the robbers.

I haven’t spoken to him about it, but if the idea of moving over to the NBI is ever broached to General Lomibao, he should reject the very notion out of hand. The PNP top post is much more vital than NBI Directorship any day. Even if pressure is brought to him, Lomibao must say, "No."

What is dismaying, naturally, is that Lomibao, who took over as PNP Chief only in March 2005, is due for retirement on his next birthday, namely July 5. (He was born in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, on July 5, 1950).

Other classmates from Philippine Military Academy class of 1972, like retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff Efren Abu, and recently "retired but still on terminal leave" Vice Admiral Ernesto de Leon, former Flag-Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy, have retired already.

I think if she wants to really reform, purge and upgrade the corruption-riddled Philippine National Police, the President must do a bold thing: Extend the tenure of PNP Chief Lomibao for two, or even better, three years. It’s self-defeating for a PNP Chief to run the police organization for only one year and four months – as will have been the case if Lomibao is retired on July 5th. His predecessor, retired PNP Director General Edgar Batalla Aglipay suffered the same fate. Egay didn’t have enough time at the helm of the PNP to strike fear in the hearts of the ungodly in uniform, or in the detective bureau, or reform the force before the "retirement" deadline compelled him to bow out.

I know my suggestion will not sit well (a euphemism this: it will be angrily rejected) by those in the hierarchy of the police impatiently waiting for their turn to get "promoted." The retirement "succession" game has, alas, become a stupid tradition – otherwise, the "threat" is that unrest will ripple through the ranks of either police or military, leading allegedly to mutiny. Yet, what about the public welfare – and the safety of our citizens? A crooked police force, linked to the criminal syndicates or even leading them, are a menace to our peaceful society. In the ultimate analysis, salus populi est suprema lex.

No Police Chief, with only a year and a half in prospect, can execute meaningful reform, clean up the force, or render it rough and ready to fight crime. Almost immediately, even the most "idealistic" police rookies are being corrupted by the rotten apples in the barrel, particularly since these rats may be their own police superiors.

Who’ll defend the citizen, then? Only GMA, by being resolute, declaring "damn the torpedoes", and putting tough bosses in charge of the PNP – and the NBI – with enough tenure to crack down and ream out the rascals, as well as attract better cops and agents from among our younger prospects will give us better law enforcement, and give our people freedom from fear.

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THE ROVING EYE . . . Secretary Raul Gonzalez is right. Much as we want to get custody of the US Marines charged with raping one of our Filipina women, we have to respect our commitment to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) which is a treaty ratified by our own Congress. You’ll notice that the loudest in their condemnation and complaint are the usual Leftists, led by Party List Rep. Saturnino Ocampo, a former NPA, and others (Etta, Teddy, etc.) It’s beyond human nature to expect that no rapes or other crimes will be committed by US "visiting" military personnel. Perhaps, as may be established in court, rape was indeed committed. The solution, methinks, to our frustration in not being able to get custody of the Marine suspects – if such an order is issued – is not to abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement, but to amend it in Congress and get the US Government, for its part, to agree to an amended VFA. I think that the VFA, upon closer inspection, does need revision – particularly with regard to restricting the off-base movements of US personnel. Those Marines or soldiers arriving here to join operations or Balikatan exercises, or foreseeably in the future any joint undertaking with our military and police, are not in the Philippines for R & R or on vacation. Those who come here come for a specific mission or undertaking and must, under a revised VFA, be restricted to base or within the operational area. That’s the long and short of it. Will tightening it up "strain" our relations with Washington DC? Relations are always being put to the test. Alliances and "friendships" must stand this test – or they aren’t worth pursuing – or maintaining.