A purge, and fast
YESTERDAY’S Senate hearing on tokhang for ransom is dismaying at the very least. There we see how corrupt the scalawags really are as we listened to the enumeration of the assets of PO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel of Angeles, Pampanga.
We bet many were seething in their seats, wanting to get their hands around the neck of this policeman who claims having a takehome pay of P8,000 but has five houses and lots, one commercial building, three lots, a Toyota Vios, a Honda Big Bike, a Toyota Hilux, and P20-million net worth.
A relatively well-paid executive in our hick of a town can have a take home thrice that, and nothing else because a basic Vios would pull you back more half a million pesos for a basic, which would cost you between P13,000 to P20,000 less of your take home for three to five years. Now, imagine if you have a take-home of P25,000 and you take out a basic Vios for three years, that will reduce your take home to just a tiny P5,000 a month. That’s definitely not a good deal, and then there’s your basic house and lot to pay for for the next 10-20 years that is already eating up at least P15,000 a month. What does that leave you? A situation where you’d rather not have a car and just invest in that house and lot.
But that is not Sta. Isabel’s world. In his world, he can live with a take home pay of P8,000 and yet have a P20-million net worth. And all this time we thought policemen needed our sympathy and help. We even cheered President Rodrigo Duterte on when he said he intends to raise the salaries of policemen.
Apparently, we were all wrong when we’re dealing with scalawags. Small change, they would say. No wonder they have racked up their illegal activities and are no longer above extorting and killing right inside their general headquarters. This administration has threatened the luxurious lifestyle they have been enjoying, and all it took was to make it into the police force, not even as a commissioned officer at that.
Thus we join the cry, the demand, for a purge of all scalawags in uniform. It may be a very difficult task, but it is one that Philippine National Police Ronald dela Rosa has to take on. There is no other way. Corruption has eaten into their very soul, no amount of incentives doing honest work will ever wean these scalawags from the lifestyle they have sold their soul to.
It’s a tough inheritance from long years of neglect and mutual benefit. But it just has to be done while we have this window of real change... before the allies of scalawags can make a return.
By the way, we would want to hear from Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueno about all these. After all, he’s the power above the police. We sort of miss his voice.