EDITORIAL - Peacekeepers

Cebu City’s top cop supported the idea of the city government to deploy habalhabal drivers as “force multipliers” to help police in the campaign against criminality, saying they can be of great help in the enforcement of local ordinances.

“It’s not a problem and thank you kay mayor if he will mobilize it.  It will positively help the police if he will use it throughout the year,” said Cebu City Police Office director Senior Superintendent Royina Garma.

Saying they need to undergo basic training, Garma emphasized these habalhabal drivers should be subject to a background investigation to determine who among them will be classified as members of the anti-crime group.

If the city police will be tasked to organize the group, the director said it is necessary to conduct background check and screening because these habalhabal drivers will undergo basic training on enforcement of city ordinances before they are allowed to help in anti-crime drive.

Well, the move has noble intention. These habalhabal drivers can certainly be an effective tool in the police’s peace and order campaign because they are the ones who know almost everyone in their community.

In the city whose limited number of policemen is stunting the effort for proper law enforcement, deploying habalhabal drivers is just one of good ideas in the intensified approach to crime prevention.

With the city’s rising number of residents, the police are undeniably having a hard time maintaining peace and order. And tapping habalhabal drivers as peacekeepers is a sensible resort as authorities cannot do the job alone.

However, they need to undergo training on the basic aspects of peacekeeping. We have to admit that many of them lack the proper education. So, in order for them to be effective “force multipliers,” they must be equipped with the proper knowledge on law enforcement.