IF the cops can’t protect us from criminals, we need to arm ourselves for our own protection, some city folks comment. Others express apprehension about an unsafe rest at night because criminals might attack them while sleeping.

Cops are always caught flatfooted or with their pants down as criminals easily hit their target in broad daylight.

The recent murder of the Bureau of Fire Protection provincial chief, Supt. Casiano Del Castillo in Arevalo this city and so many previous unsolved killings in Iloilo have some Ilonggos think of arming themselves against notorious criminals.

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The sightings of suspected NPA hit squad (sparrow unit) in Arevalo and Jaro have been disclosed by Capt. Lowen Marquez of the Philippine Army through the media few days before the separate assassinations took place over the weekend. But why cops didn’t bother to validate the information?

The slayings of Supt. Del Castillo and Eddie Pedrajas, an alleged relative of a suspected drug lord here, could have been prevented if cops had the nerve to conduct a pro-active measure right away.

Probably, because cops were too busy playing tong-its!

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Why many murders in our community remain unsolved?

In most of my interview with our cops, they threw back the blame to civilians who refuse to give any statements and be witnesses to the crime. “When we go to their places, nobody sees anything.”

That’s because witnesses don’t get police protection in communities when they give statements, I shot back. There have been cases where police utterly failed poor residents in urban communities who reported crimes in their neighborhoods.

They called police on the hot line many times, “atrasado man.”

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Does anyone really believe the police are here to protect us?

A lady vendor of Iloilo Terminal Market in her 40’s, and a resident of Lapaz, seemed to disagree when we say that cops will protect us.

Why? Last Tuesday, (August 26) a vendor whose name is withheld was allegedly manhandled by a cop whom she identified as PO1 Aldwin Yanzon, who is presently assigned at the Iloilo City Police Office.

According to witnesses Yanzon, approached the vendor; she obstructed the alley, so the police grabbed and arrested her.

Witnesses say that she was upset but offered no resistance, so there was no reason for a cop to physically hurt her, much less detain here.

Broadcaster Ronson Hofileña of Aksyon Radyo who was trying to pacify was told to step back. He also observed that while the police was questioning the vendor he hit her with body punches.

“Nag-ililihi gid ang makaluluoy nga vendor,” Ronson reported.

***

I know that there are good cops. I’m friends with some good cops and cops-in-training. But there are so many “haslu” like the one described above. Nami ipadala sa Mindanao!

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