A society so conducive to crime

According to the PNP, the incidence of crime in the last two “Ber” months have significantly gone down compared to the previous year, attributing to the speed by which crimes are now solved or the perpetrators caught with the extensive use of CCTV cameras by establishments and households. But if you read the papers, listen to the radio or even watch the news on TV, more often than not, crime dominates the news. Now according to the PNP, the apparent increase is merely attributed to more crimes being reported by the media. Then in that case, one cannot say that the crime rate has gone down this year, since crimes were apparently not all reported by the media the past year, right?

Whatever the data regarding crime, the truth is that it exists. What is alarming is the nature of crimes nowadays. I for one think it is because criminals no longer have anything to fear from the government, from the police, from the whole judiciary system! A system where the suspects seem to have more rights than the victims and their relatives. One perfect example is the Maguindanao Massacre, three years running and still no clear end in sight for the victims and their relatives! One delay after another, with the help of crafty lawyers who know how to use the law to the benefit of their clients. Then there are the crimes that make no sense at all. Such as the fate that has befallen Judie Ann Rodelas, the part-time ABS-CBN talent who was abducted, repeatedly raped then murdered in cold blood apparently all in the name of “teaching her a lesson” by a supposed friend! Another is the senseless killing of an American who was killed in Bel-Air, Makati. It seems a strong tap on a vehicle is more than enough reason for one to be killed by today’s youth, not surprisingly the rich and influential! These cretin were already on their way home when they apparently decided that the day isn’t complete without beating up and stabbing someone to death! We have the killing of aspiring lawyers, by aspiring lawyers themselves! All senseless, idiotic crimes!

But we also have the usual robberies and rapes that still pervade the news, especially in Laguna. We have the akyat-bahay monsters who are not content with just robbing a place, they have to leave pools of blood to highlight their crimes! Sure, most of these crimes are indeed captured on CCTV, but they still happen! It only tells me that criminals are no longer fearful of  the law and punishment. And why should they be? Apparently life is much better inside the New Bilibid Prisons than it is outside its walls! There, one could actually live like a king, and still continue a life of crime! Couple this with policemen cheating on their exams for promotion or those who want to become policemen in the first place. All these factors only make for a society so conducive to crime.

What has to be done is to bring back the fear of punishment for crimes done. What is needed are stricter, more harsh laws for heinous crimes such as the ones mentioned above. We need punishment that equals the crime, not as a deterrent, but as punishment, nothing else. We have to bring back the fear of the law into criminals. They should be the ones afraid, not us.