(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?
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