Fallen

                                                          (ph.news.yahoo.com)

Forty four. This is just a set of numbers, a mathematical symbol that we pass off as just another thing mathematicians ponder. But if it is the number of lives wasted due to an operation of the police gone haywire... that’s another thing. More shocking to realize is that this stats is for the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police... that is a major thing!

When the pictures of the dead policemen went viral on the social media, a myriad of reactions and emotions mushroomed. There are some who blamed the police for lack of training and initiatives. Some gave analyses on the lack of protocol and coordination with the military and a percentage gushed on the doubt that the operation was all about the money on the head of the terrorists.

Blame it on democracy. With the advent of cable TV and the internet, people are now free to air what they feel and what they think. Of course, others are reactive enough to give haphazard opinions but we give them their benefits to free speech. Facebook is even filled with curses, selfish commentaries, petty wars and egotism. But then again, this is what the free world is all about.

There’s a collective feeling of dismay among the people who made the media portals as sources of information. How could one not be touched with the wailings of those family members looking at the forty two caskets (the two were buried in Mindanao) being carried by their comrades? The elderly who contain their emotions to less tolerant level had their fits of face contortions as they viewed the news all over.

Then, there’s the president airing his take of the event. I always wonder who his speech writer is since often, I could not understand his points. Is there an art of communication when you could say a lot yet the impact would be synthetic or safe enough not to offend the people and the MILF? There are instances when I wonder whether it’s the way he delivers them or his syntax is beyond my mental capacity. Probably the latter...

He added more injuries when he decided to attend the inauguration of a car company than meeting the “heroes” on their arrival. Again, this writer understands about commitments and schedules. But how could one explain these technicalities to an emotional country?

No amount of cajoling to be sober down can take effect. There’s a simmering anger among the police. Secretary Roxas heard the sentiments of the Special Action Forces when he met with them. Provincial policemen are sporting bald heads as their sign of asking for justice. Different “walks for justice” took place... It would only take an angry leader to trigger a revolution.

This sorrowful event which others call as a massacre is linked to a question of leadership. The people want some sort of a valid explanation paired with what is just. An investigation is necessary but the president as the main leader must put an iron fist in combating the evils within our midst. The idea of an all-out war could never be the answer but there must be a win-win solution that could be brainstormed and acted quick by the leaders.

For how could I feel safe when even the policemen trained and paid by the government to keep us safe seem to look ignorant of the rules of engagement?