Giving more teeth to law enforcement

As part of its intensified campaign against the illegal drug trade in the province, the Cebu provincial government has rewarded a policeman who was injured during an operation against a big-time drug pusher in the town of Cordova last August.

Governor HilarioDavide III handed P50,000 to Police Officer 1 Dennis Valiente of Cordova Police Station for the latter's medical needs. Valiente, who sustained gunshot wounds to the chest, thigh and shoulder, is spending at least six months at the hospital as advised by doctors.

The financial assistance has been a program of the Capitol through the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO). Aimed at boosting the province's anti-drug campaign, it is given to policemen who successfully operate against drug dealers across the province.

In Cebu City, a similar approach has been implemented by the local government. A few weeks ago, Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced he will be giving P50,000 out of his discretionary fund to any policeman of the city who can kill a criminal in the line of duty.

Osmeña said the amount will help policemen find a lawyer once they are embroiled in a legal trouble as a result of the killing of a criminal. The mayor explained that policemen, given their limited resources, do not have enough means to defend themselves in court.

While each has separate intention, the financial assistance from both the province and city has the same goal, which is to help the police in the campaign against criminality. The police cannot accomplish the job alone as they need the support of the local government.

The only difference is that it's the Cebu City government's assistance that has received negative reactions from various sectors, especially from the church and human rights advocates who think it will only encourage another wave of extra-judicial killings.

But we can also understand the side of local government units wanting to reward policemen in the fight against crimes. It's their job to boost the capabilities of policemen in the effort to maintain peace and order. And the giving of financial assistance is just one way of giving more teeth to law enforcement.