Lucrative

When the Maguindanao massacre happened in 2009, a particular piece of equipment gained notoriety aside from providing evidence as to the masterminds of the horrible crime. A backhoe with the name Ampatuan was eerily parked beside the shallow, hurried graves dug for the intended victims. Who would have thought that this piece of heavy equipment would be an instrument of death. In the wrong hands, it obviously could.

Nowadays, another vehicle has replaced the backhoe as an instrument of death, the motorcycle. Its most recent criminal use was at NAIA-3 where at least two gunmen used them to escape flat-footed airport authorities after gunning down an incumbent mayor and his family arriving from a flight. Apparently wearing police uniforms, they managed to evade scrutiny and suspicion as they entered the arrival area of the terminal. The presence of a checkpoint at the entrance of the terminal proved absolutely worthless in preventing the brazen attack. As usual, the men on the motorcycle made good their escape. With the horrendous traffic the metro is currently experiencing, they easily eluded authorities. What else is new?

If I remember correctly, either the PNP or a particular city adopted the "no riding-in-tandem" law, to try and curb the use by assassins of the motorcycle to make good their getaway. Has that been enforced? Shouldn't the PNP fully enforce this law everywhere, as it is pretty obvious as the vehicle of choice of criminals? Or why doesn't the PNP have more motorcycle riding officers to have the same mobility enjoyed by those on the opposite side of the law, instead of providing escort services to other more mundane occasions?

Criminals seem to adapt a lot faster to measures put up by law enforcers in fighting crime. This is to say that criminals always seem to have the upper hand, or being several steps ahead than their polar opposites. For example, a simple outpost placed at the only exit from the Arrival and Departure terminals would have easily deterred assassins to venture into the terminal loading-unloading bays. Good communication between these security personnel could have also prevented the escape of the killers. But complacency has once again given them the upper hand. Since nobody would expect an attack at the terminal, that's exactly where they executed it.

I believe fresher, more creative minds should be involved in crime-fighting, and not just rely on the obvious old textbooks that are still being used by the country's police force today. From electronic theft to brazen assassinations, crime has never been this lucrative, and seemingly easy. But with the PNP being another 'old boys club', steeped in tradition and a sense of fraternity-attitude brotherhood, that may be easier said than allowed.

Is society losing its war on crime? It would seem so, with the veracity of incidents at a time when people should be celebrating peace. I can only wish for a more safe and peaceful Christmas to everyone.