How safe are we?

THIS is not just the concern of the common “tao.” This is also the concern of the mayors and the village captains. “How safe are we from the bad elements? If a crime is committed, how fast is the response of our policemen? Can they be there right away… or just like in the movie that they come to the scene when the criminals have been far away? Someone may say that they are there already before the crime is committed.

This could be a play of words or entertainment of some funny thoughts and we cannot always make it a reason that August is really the month of crime because it is “Tiempo Muerto” (Tigkiriwi).

It is the month of the year that work is scarce especially in the haciendas. If “Tiempo Muerto” contributes to the proliferation of the crime every year, then the local government could have thought of a solution to the problem. Someone would say that this could be some kind of political sabotage by the antiDuterte group… or could have been inflected by the local opponents of the incumbent mayor or governor. This follows the principle of “destroy to win.”

Many believe that our policemen lack visibility and the local criminals are more visible because they operate by night and day. It follows the saying, “When the cats are not there, the mice are happier.” There was this employee of a local government unit who bought a lot in a second class subdivision and built a house through a joint Pag-ibig and GSIS loan six years ago. Until now he is still paying for it.

When he went home one afternoon, he found out that his gate was wide open and the main door was forcibly unlocked. He was surprised that nothing was left in the sala, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom of the second floor. He was a victim of “akyat bahay gang.” A carabao shepherd said that a “canter” made two trips that afternoon.

There was a maid who was requested by her “Nonoy” to buy a medicine for the sick son one night. It was just around seven o’clock in the evening.

Thirty minutes after, the maid was back but before she reached the master’s house… she was stopped by two men wearing masks. The tall one was armed with a bladed weapon and the other one was holding a hand gun. At first, the maid was nervous but when she was grappled and the tall one started to remove her pants, she shouted for help until some neighbors arrived.

The tricycle driver was waiting for passengers in the loading-unloading area that rainy night. There was this brand new car that suddenly halted near his tricycle. He thought that passengers would be coming down to transfer to his sidecar. Yes, there were two gentlemen who approached him.

He greeted them, “Good evening, Sirs. Two of them responded, “This is a hold-up. Give me your collection.” Without a smile, the driver gave his more than three hundred-peso collection. Lesson learned: Do not trust car riders. The carpenter lives near the river bank.

His house is made of bamboo and nipa. Before going to sleep near his wife, he placed P15 inside his coin purse for his fare next day. He put it in his bag compartment.

When he woke up the next day, his wife was still at his side embracing him but his bag was nowhere to be found. I knew it because he was my neighbor. I donated for his fare.

I told him to report to the police. He only smiled but did not report the fate of his missing bag with his wealth. He raised fighting cocks in his backyard. He got 20 heads that could be sold easily at P3,000 each.

That night, it was raining hard and his wife heard him snoring. The dog outside was barking loud as if there are strangers out there. At around four o’clock the next day, the husband and the wife did not hear the roosters crowing. When they opened the window and checked the area with a flashlight, the yard was empty. Only few feathers were left.

That was a case of abduction of fighting cocks. It is true that there are aliens.

There was this girl’s dormitory near a college. The boarders would always wash underwears before going to bed.

The wears were left in the clothes line to dry. The next day it was discovered that the clothes line was still there but someone took the underwears.

When the security guard was asked if there was someone who went near the rooftop to harvest the undies, his nose simply expanded but he said, “No.” He was the suspect. We are not totally safe.

There are small and big crimes happening in out towns and cities. We need the strong words of our mayors so that the chiefs of police can move their men to serve and protect. We also encourage the assistance of village “tanods,” members of the civil security forces, the watchmen, and the neighborhood association to form watchdogs for the community. SSBacolod modern community in the Philippines where oneness, nationalistic goal, cooperation leading to peace and progress will be developed.

For comments text my cp. no. 09202112534. SSDavao