Pubdate: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 Source: Sunstar Pampanga (Philippines) Copyright: 2002 Sunstar Contact: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2252 Note: also listed as a contact Author: Jun Malig Jr. CRIMES, ILLEGAL DRUGS IN MABALACAT THE many incidents of robberies, proliferation of illegal drugs, and related crimes have become common topics among the residents of Barangay Dau and other villages of Mabalacat. The townsfolk are no longer surprised when they hear that their neighbors, relatives or friends became victims of cellular phone snatching, house burglaries, or bicycle, moped and tricycle stealing. It is lamentable, however, that only a very few crime victims in Mabalacat report the incidents to policemen. Most of the victims dare not involve themselves in the crime reporting process simply because they do not have confidence in their policemen. They think that it would be just a waste of time. It may be a pitiable situation but it is the truth. Ask almost anyone in Mabalacat if they think policemen are capable of preventing or solving crimes and eradicating the illegal drug menace in the town and you'll surely have a resounding NO for an answer. Some townsfolk even suspect connivance between some unprincipled law enforcers and criminals. Citing past experiences, a reformed drug pusher and a former thief who is now a born-again Christian told this columnist recently that policemen could stop crimes and illegal drugs trade if they really want to. All it takes, the two said, is the heart to do it. * I agree with the Angeles City councilors who said earlier that police crime statistics do not necessarily reflect reality. Low crime indexes does not mean that people are sleeping soundly inside their homes and could roam around outside without the fear that criminals are just waiting for an opportunity to strike. The fact remains that a greater percentage of crime victims refuse to seek police intervention. This is especially true among victims of cellular phone snatching, pickpockets and other petty crimes. Even the once peaceful agricultural villages are now targets of thieves. Farmers in Bical and nearby villages in Mabalacat, for instance, could no longer leave their goats on the fields unguarded. Agricultural equipment like irrigation motors and hand tractors are also not safe from unscrupulous persons nowadays. * TO have a more accurate crime statistics, policemen should coordinate with barangay captains and purok chairmen. Many crime victims usually seek the help of either one of the two village officials. Barangay captains could require purok chairmen to submit monthly crime reports. The reports could then be submitted directly to the local police chief for his guidance and intervention. Knowing the traits of Kapampangans and Filipinos, it would be wiser for policemen to go directly to the crime victims instead of just waiting for the latter to file complaints in the police station. This, however, would be applicable only in areas where the police chief and his men are really dead serious in fighting criminals and in re-earning the people's trust and confidence. * IT is true that we have only a few policemen compared to the number of civilians but this should not stop our law enforcement agencies and public officials from performing their mandate to protect the lives, wellness and properties of the people no matter what the odds are. There are several measures that could be taken to achieve this end. Involving the citizenry in the fight against illegal drugs and criminality is one of them. With the growing number of cellular phone users, law enforcement agencies could maintain hotline numbers that people could easily reach through calls or text messages. These hotline numbers could be posted in every public utility vehicle and in conspicuous places for everyone to see. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth