EDITORIAL - Not the image we want to project

There is now a video circulating on social media showing a fight between groups of youth that happened along General Maxilom Avenue in Cebu City.

It starts with a commotion with people running in all directions then turns violent as a group of young men gang up on a particular person and proceed to punch, kick, and beat him silly in the middle of the street, even causing traffic to stall. One attacker even tries to beat him with a motorcycle helmet.

The victim is only saved when a lone policeman shows up on the scene to break up the fight. Then a bunch of attackers are seen running off.

Although the incident took place at night, the time and date of the incident has not been verified. The cause of the fight was also not clear as there seems to have been no official police report filed of the incident.

For now we can say this appears to be an isolated incident. Admittedly, we have not received frequent reports about such incidents taking place.

However, the way the youths acted with impunity in making the streets their own personal backyard where they settle vendettas, or that some of them were not worried about beating someone else in the middle of the street is worrying.

This isn’t the image we want to project to our own natives and visitors, especially with the Sinulog celebrations just around the corner after a two-year hiatus. We don’t want them to think that anyone can just get beaten up in public here and that those who did it can just get away.

This should serve as a wakeup call for authorities, parents, and youths themselves.

For authorities, there should be more policemen or force multipliers in areas known to be hotspots for trouble. Especially areas known for their vibrant nightlife scenes.

For parents, they should exert parental control over their children, especially those who are dangerously veering off the straight and narrow path.

For youths, if there is no reason to fight then avoid one.

We know that today even an angry stare, a dirty look, or a stink eye can cause trouble. But is it really worth fighting, getting beaten, or even getting hospitalized over?