Peace covenants are silly exercises
Posted on April 30, 2007 - Filed Under General, San Carlos City election, Mayor Jolly resuello, election violence |
I KNEW it. I just knew it. The Provincial Police Office (PPO) under P/Supt Isagani Nerez was speaking too soon when it announced, almost with an audible sigh, sometime last week that Pangasinan, this great province, may be headed for one of its most peaceful elections yet.
One of Nerez’s senior officers was quoted in a news report as saying: “Wala pa sa one –fourth ang mga violations na nairi-rikord natin ngayon kumpara noong 2004 elections
The PNP boys were practically congratulating themselves already and heaping laurels especially on their superiors for their “pro-active efforts” (perhaps referring to those night-time checkpoints they set up in various points and whatever else) that have resulted in no election-related violence as yet recorded — as of early last week. 
Then those gunshots yesterday (Saturday) evening at the city plaza in San Carlos and our good friend, Mayor Jolly Resuello, fell critically wounded. A loyal civilian aide who tried pulling him out of harm’s way, died instead from the same determined assassins’ bullets.
So much for pre-emptive measures. When an area is ever tagged violence-prone, it remains potentially violent no matter the peaceful times in a few past years and there’s no such thing as people turning into overnight saints in such sensitive human areas – or didn’t our uniformed protectors know?
Any way one looks at it, the cops under the command of Police Chief Johnny Bacbac in San Carlos City were caught flat-footed there. A whole contingent of local police and regional mobile group elements, all armed to the teeth guarding the plaza and the killers just walked in? Maybe the cops really believed in their heart of hearts that everything in this political exercise will be fine and dandy, a walk in the park, a breeze and that peace covenants, now the fashion during election campaign periods, are enough to rein in dastardly impulses of the violence-inclined.
Like everyone who abhors political violence, we pray and hope Mayor Jolly survives this terrible blow to peace in his beloved city.
* * *
And while we’re on the subject of peace covenants, those Jaen, Nueva Ecija politicos Antonino and Esquivel, did sign one such peace agreement, didn’t they? Many more candidates have done the same, even in powderkeg areas.
The problem is, most of those gathered by the police and church groups to sign the peace covenants are those who really have no means, or the guts and gumption, to engage in acts of violence, the gentle “sheep”, and would therefore not be caught thinking or doing ill on their fellowmen.
It’s, pardon my intemperance, a useless exercise from the start.
It’s just like that hare-brained idea on security where guards are posted at entrance doors to buildings or residential compounds requiring everyone who wishes to come in to be frisked or bodily searched. Would a darn terrorist or killer in his right (wrong) mind ever be caught passing thru that post. Of course not, he’d find another way to get in – but not thru the guarded gates.
Silly rules. Stupid assumptions.
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