Let’s say it once more with emphasis: Our people’s safety must come first

With so much attention and so many resources, including police and security personnel, devoted to heading off possible riots and public disorder – and everybody focused on "impeachment," the jueteng exposés, and the kick-out-Gloria movement – what we feared is that some terrible terrorist act, or violent criminal caper, might be staged while nobody was looking.

Well, there you are: Both have happened. Two bombs exploded last night in Zamboanga City.

Before that, yesterday’s kidnapping of 11-year old Ryan Yu just as he was coming out of his family’s building along Mayhaligue, Tondo, knocked into a cocked hat the brag of President GMA in her State of the Nation Address that kidnapping is a thing of the past. Philippine National Police Director General Arturo C. Lomibao had at least (while loathe to contradict the President) admitted at the time that kidnapping was actually on the rise.

Worst of all, the five heavily armed kidnappers who grabbed Ryan Yu shot up the place while dragging the victim from his yaya’s arms into their van, wounding two security guards and four bystanders, including a Chinese-Filipino businessman at the wheel of his own vehicle nearby, who now lies in critical condition in the hospital.

Yesterday’s abduction is a jolting reminder that our government and lawmen must forever be on the alert – for, when all is said and done, it’s the people’s safety and security that matters and should come first.

In short, our citizens must be able to feel safe, whether on the street, in private vehicles or public transport, at work, in school, or in their homes. How we tend to forget the basics.

Nobody, it must be admitted, can foresee every crime, or completely prevent a kidnapping staged by armed men determined to use maximum violence, even homicide or murder, to pull off their crime. But our streets must be patrolled and policed with diligence so that wrongdoers and criminals know that they risk their own necks if they dare embark on a criminal undertaking, particularly a violent one.

The inevitable cynics (call them realists if you will) are now asking: What if some cops are in cahoots with the criminals? That’s a question that’s difficult to answer. Our police force continues to need drastic reform. Sad to say, the PNP remains riddled with bad eggs. One of the major problems facing any PNP Chief bent on weeding out the rats and upgrading the quality of our policemen is the fact that most police chiefs usually have only a year or two in office – hardly enough time to get anything done. The former Police Chief, now retired, Gen. Edgar Aglipay had just eight months as Chief. PNP Chief Lomibao – who took over last March – will be retiring on his birthday in July 5 next year.

How then can our police be brought up to scratch by any meaningful revamp? All the "questionable" cops and racketeers who hide behind the badge have to do is simply wait for the retirement of the present Police Director General, Lomibao, who’s been striving (though interrupted by the political "war" still ongoing) to institute reform.

Unless he gets an extension – which is iffy since so many politically-backed PNP officers are eagerly panting to be moved up the ladder of the police hierarchy – he’ll be gone within one year.

Let me say it clearly: A Police Chief needs at least three, but preferably five years to purge the police force, train and promote crackerjack policemen, and upgrade the quality, proficiency and morale of police recruits.

Even tough-guy Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, now being angrily accused of hacking away at GMA and family by egging on witnesses to testify against them on jueteng or the "Hello, Garci" issue, wasn’t able to reform the PNP. He did make some headway – even when bedevilled by the Kuratong Baleleng accusation – but his sponsor, President Joseph "Erap" Estrada fell, and Lacson’s tenure was simultaneously terminated.

* * *

Two Abu Sayyaf have claimed responsibility for the two bombs which exploded last night in Zamboanga City. As I write, the verified casualty figures still haven’t come in, although our Zamboanga Bureau Chief, Roel Pareño told me there were at least seven wounded.

One bomb exploded at 7 p.m. on Campaner street, 200 meters from the Church and near the Mindpro Shopping Center.

The second bomb had been "planted" it seems in an Inn just above the Chowking Restaurant on Mayor Jaldon street in the heart of the city. The explosion occurred about 8 p.m. Pareño was unable to furnish me more details, including the final casualty count, when I spoke to him on the phone because there was still a lot of confusion and the police were restricting movement.

The warning that accompanied both bombs predicted "more to come."

In any event, popular radio broadcaster Ronnie Lledo, our Philippine STAR columnist ("Zamboanga Calling"), received the warning about the two impending bombings by letter shortly before the blasts, with the "Abu Sayyaf" claiming authorship.

Clearly, the Zambo blasts have nothing to do with the elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) since Zamboanga City, predominantly Christian, does not belong to the ARMM. It is the location however, of the headquarters of the Armed Forces Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and has the Philippine Air Force base, the Edwin Andrews, as well as the Philippine Navy landing.

Almost on cue, the terrorists have struck again. Sort of reminds us of where our priorities ought to lie.