NO ELECTION "TERRORISM' IN BOHOL?Editorial of the Bohol Chronicle, April 18, 2010
Does the Holy Name Research Center headed by Patpat Jimenez Espiritu, who conducted an pre-election survey of the city ,know something that the public does not?
People are asking. Because why would some of the abominable characters associated with the City Mayor Dan Lim's dreaded City Monitoring Task Force (armed to the teeth) intimidate people in various ways -as claimed during the "Radyo Merkado" so as not to support his rival Jose Antonio Veloso?
We thought the ratio was 70% to 20% (rounded) was the mayor's lead over Veloso? If that is indeed true- why is there a need for what people call "Limdan's Private Army" to sow fear in people -like some dictator's minions going for an over-kill?
This is the mini-version (city-scope) of "Martial Law" as practiced by the apparent clone of Ferdinand Marcos, the hated despot lined in the category of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, WW II's anti-heroes.
That the task force will eventually become an election terror group was already feared months ago. We recall how haplessly city Police Chief Julius Gornez, who wanted a definition of terms ruling the accountabilities of the PNP and Task Force , but was mercillessly over-ruled by a supine City Legislature who just made his request as a "permanent restraining order."
This is an abomination that happens when the task force is beholden directly to the City Mayor Dan Lim and the city police reports directly to the city chief executive, as well. Obviously, the two cannot police each other -but takes the cue from the mayor's baton before the dance the Argentine Tango.
But this style is typical of a despot who rules by fear -and not respect- of his constituents. He continues to harass media men like Gerrys Pabe and Cajes and Boy Requeron, some of those who disagree with his warped type of governance. And the whole city -and some parts of the country - know this is not the first time, Mayor Dan Lim harassed media.
The City Mayor (by reports of his shady deals and human rights violations) is indeed the biggest "turn-off" why many businessmen, vacationers and foreign investors will start skipping the province -for fear of passing through the Capital City of fear and Intimidation. The City Executive is fast becoming a disgrace to the province -indeed a source of national embarassment.And this is not just media bias.
Three former city mayors and a former provincial governor had already condemned Hitler's resurrected ways here - and City Mayor Dan Lim still does not get the point.
Something must be wrong, somewhere.
One such thing is the myopic opinion of Provincial Election Supervisor Eliseo Labaria who claims to the high heavens there are no "election hot spots" in Bohol. Doesn't he see what is going on in the city? Does Comelec Chair Melo have to know this to understand Labaria's source of underestimation?
Does the local Comelec chief also want to contradict then our own provincial Governor Rico Aumentado who filed and got a restraining order to replace Provincial Police chief, Senior Superintendent Anthony Obenza , since there is a presence of armed men in the province and he has good experience in controlling "goons and guns" included? There must be something amiss.
And what about PNP provincial chief Obenza - what will he do in the face of the threats of these armed city task force and he is not directly supervised by City Mayor Dan Lim- will he just watch this rape of democracy take place?
There must be a reason - or reasons - why National PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa, Police Director Abner Cabalquinto and DILG Chief Ronnie Puno - asked that he be relieved and replaced by Police Chief Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Llorca. Would a continued inaction be one more reason for the national leadership of Chief Verzosa to look again at his leadership in the province not too kindly?
What about the Philippine Army? In many provinces, it is public knowledge that the army is not as compromised poltically as the PNP, precisely because of the absence of jurisdictional control by local politicians.
Very often -the Army men had vowed - and executed their steadfast belief in the Constitution and intervened to keep peace and order during the election period.
In the face of all these, we call on the Head of the Philippine Army in Bohol, the professional Colonel Alan Luga, to look into the threats against the people's democratic choice imposed by people with guns protected by the power of the political kind.
Let us recall that President GMA had fulfilled one of her 10 Dream Wishes when she assumed office in 2004 to automate the polls and make our elections truly representative of the will of the people. It is shameful that some parties would still sabotage that otherwise noble goal by other forms of aberrations that seriously threaten the credibility of elections - like force and intim idation.
A silver lining is in place,however. Two of the leading presidential candidates had calendared an agenda that once in the Palace , they will seek a revision of the law that gives local politicians power and control over the police.That should be very comforting.
In the meantime, we enjoin everyone to remember that "vigilance is the price of liberty." If we do not stay awake - then one day we will find our community "ruled by men and not by law"- a place where we will certainly not like our children to dwell while this takes place.
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