There are times that you really get disappointed to the core. Things that make you shake your head in disbelief, frustration and even anger. This is one of those times. Two "fraternities" of minors, aged between eleven and fifteen years old, were involved in a rock and bottle-throwing riot in the early hours of Wednesday at Barangay Tonsuya in Malabon. In a span of one hour, the two groups engaged in this riot twice. What gets you is that this all happened within a stone's-throw away from police station 8 of the Malabon police. But not a single policeman responded to the incident, even as it happened twice. There were also no barangay tanods in sight to break up the melee.
An ABS-CBN news team happened to pass by, and was able to take footage of the riot. They did notice the police station nearby so they decided to call on the police. The door was shut, which is unusual for a police station. The news team decided to enter and there they saw two policemen sound asleep. They even had to wake them up and tell them about the warring groups. They later found out that another policeman who was supposed to be on duty was not at his post. After a few hours, the station commander was interviewed by the news team. I don't have to tell you how ridiculous the station commander looked during the interview, trying to pull rabbits out of his hat in rationalizing why not a single police officer responded to the riot, and why his men were asleep on duty.
The barangay captain was also interviewed but all he did was blame the parents. Is that a valid reason not to respond? Were they afraid to respond as the fighting was already well underway? What was hilarious was the tricycle driver caught on video calmly leaning on his vehicle, watching the two fighting groups, while in the middle of it all. He did not flinch as rocks and bottles were flying, even as a shot from a homemade gun was also heard. All these were from minors.
The station commander, the two sleeping beauties and the out-of-post policeman have been sacked, and rightly so. What makes one think is if there are more stations that operate this way during the graveyard shift. Is it any wonder that police take time to respond to crimes committed during the wee hours of the morning? Station 8 in Barangay Tonsuya has shown why. Too bad they were caught literally sleeping on the job.
The rationale of the barangay captain where he simply blames the parents must also be addressed. I can imagine one of the reasons they don't even try to discipline these kids is because being minors, they know they will not be incarcerated for any crime, but merely turned over to the DSWD, and probably freed to be under their parents' custody. Parents who do not really care what their children do. It really is time to amend the law that sets the age for juveniles involved in crime. Remember that one of these minors carried a homemade gun. It may look crude, but it will inflict serious if not fatal injuries. Certainly something a child would not think of doing. Or do they nowadays? A new law must reclassify children involved in violent and deadly crime, with their parents liable as well. Otherwise, these kids will just maintain this dangerous path in their lives; dangerous to themselves, and everyone else, except maybe for that tricycle driver.