Cebu City's increasing criminality: A choice of solution - Due Process (The Old status quo) or Vigilantism (New Adventure)

Thursday, January 13, 2005

[Cebu City today is again at a crossroad. The present mayor, a person I used to admire for his no-nonsense approach to governance, has set off a very divisive issue. He wants to create a "Hunter Team" to hunt down criminals and bring down the incidence of crime in Cebu. While at it, a vigilante group has surfaced and already it has claimed 14 snatchers/robbers. Is this approach appropriate?

What follows is a string of e-mail messages written by acquaintances and some of my officemates who reflect the varied sentiments of Cebuanos regarding this issue. Some of the messages are mine. You may add yours by pressing the "comment" link below.

Please scroll down to the bottom to find the first thread so you won't get lost. Cheers!]

This is the second thread. This is my reply to Ogie's e-mail.

Dili ta ko ganahan mo-reply ani nga message kay di ko ganahan magsamok-samok ninyo. Pero, murag nindot kaayo ang argumento sa imo friend, Ems, nga I fear madani nya ang uban.

Your friend is right in calling "vigilantism" a "new adventure." How appropriate. Dictionary.com defines "adventure" as:

(a) an undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature;
(b) an undertaking of a questionable nature...

No doubt Tom's hit squad is producing results; but are they the correct results? Tinuod, the 14 who have so far succumbed to the hit squad have prior criminal records, pero maka-ensure ba sila nga tanan mapatay nila mga ex-con or wanted individuals? What's the guarantee nga ang record sa police correct og tinuod?

Just last week one woman sought the help of ABS-CBN kay ang Cebu City Police Office came out with a "wanted list" with her picture on it. The poor lady had allegedly participated in the robbery of a money changer diha dapit sa Raintree Mall. Upon further investigation, the police office admitted nga ni-rely lang sila sa usa ka witness who pointed to the woman's picture when shown an "album" containing the pictures of ALL women who requested police clearance the past year or so.

This means nga tanan mga babaye -- including you Ems -- naay chance nga mabutang ato nga "wanted list." Ma-swerte ta nga ni isa nato dire sa CannonCreek wala mataymingan. Ing-ani ka reliable atong police records nga I bet the same document nga gisigig review sa death squad karon. (Wa mo mahadlok?)

I'm opposed to this latest adventure of our good mayor for the following reasons:

(1) he is playing with fire;
(2) he is playing God;
(3) and (yet) he is not accountable.

Mayor Tom is playing with fire and, knowingly or not, he is putting the city government in a compromising situation. Kinsa ni ang death squad? Mga lawyers, educated people, police officers nga tarong, mga ligdong nga tawo nga na-fed-up lang sa rampant snatching or holdup sa atong syudad? Dili kaha ni sila hired killers? Kay kinsa gud tawon nga lawyer or doctor for that matter mosugal sa iya lisensya para lang gyud makapatay og snatcher? Kung naa man gani, basin padulong na ma-disbar.

Mas dako gyud ang posibelidad nga mga killers-for-hire ning mga vigilante, dili ba? Dili ba ni compromising nga situation: the city -- with our blessing -- is hiring "some" criminals to eliminate fellow criminals? Unsa man ang guarantee nga kini nga grupo dili lang ilang rivals ang i-eliminate? Unsa man ang guarantee nga ang nahabilin nga criminals dili ta unayon?

Nia pay lain, ibutang nato nga police ning mga vigilante. Unsa may mo-stop nila pag-pressure ni Tomas nga i-recommend sila for promotion or else ilang ibulgar si Tomas nga maoy nag-sulsol nila nga mopatay? Worse, unsa may mo-stop nila pag-pressure ni Tomas nga instead of PHP20,000 lang ang reward money, himuong PHP1 million na? Or himuon silang opisyal sa laing-laing opisina sa syudad? Or ihatag sa ila ang babaye nga ilang magustohan? Or --------------- (kamo nalay puno)? Wa mo mahadlok?

I'm sorry to say this, pero imong amigo Ems, may pagka-"naive". Ang "due process" nga prinsipyo wala gi-design to protect criminals. On the contrary, it's designed to protect anybody from being wrongfully accused and ultimately wrongfully imprisoned. It's for the good of ALL, not just for the criminals. Ikaw, gusto ka i-death penalty dayon tungod lang kay naay ni-accuse nimo nga gi-rape nimo sya? Mao ni ang gusto sa imo amigo/a, dili ba? Beh, asa man na siya kay ako siya i-accuse nga nangawat sa cellphone ni Liv pag-New Year? Can I have his address and telephone number? Kay mo-file dayon ko og police report -- and hopefully kini nga report ma-adto sa death squad.

Kasabot mo sa akong point? Ang prinsipyo nga iyang gi-lait-lait maoy nag-ensure niya karon nga dili nako siya mapapreso. Ang "due process", mga higala, is a guarantee nga not one of us can play God.

Finally, Tommy's "new adventure" is unfair -- wa siya'y accountability. Siya na mismo ni-ingon: He's merely "inspiring" others to do something about the rising criminality sa city. What if si Skye or si Din-din or si Cassandra (nga anak ni Cherry) masayop nilag patay or ma-igo og ligaw na bala? Kinsa atong i-kiha? Kinsa atong paninglan? Right now: Wala. Why? Kay kining mga vigilante unknown; wala'y mga nawong; therefore dili accountable. Sakto ba nga ni usa wa tay kapaninglan?

Ingna imo amigo/a Ems nga ingon si Larri-Nil Veloso naive og short-sighted siya nga pagkatawo!