Thanks to the active presence of the police force in public places frequented by huge crowd this holiday season, no alarming incident happened that could have marred the peace and order in the localities in the region. Police visibility proved effective to deter occurrence of street crimes, while police units’ reminders for residents to secure their homes while out also helped much. The cooperation between the police and the citizenry are indispensable elements in ensuring peace and order.
Others however attribute the low incident rate of petty street crimes to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Police authorities in the country have constantly been reporting that from the commencement of the campaign against illegal drugs, street and petty crimes, such as robbery and theft, lowered. Opposed to such placid statistics is the high incident rate of murder and homicide which includes the unabated extra-judicial killings(EJKs).
The issue on EJK has stepped up the ladder to become an international concern. The battle that was supposed to be exclusively domestic transcended the realms of global controversies with Pres. Rody Duterte angst on those criticizing him and his war on drugs. Who will not be worried about having bloodied bodies sprawling on streets and crannies seen in many places at anytime of the day and night? Worse, Pres. Duterte is quick to defend the police officers who are alleged perpetrators of the killing, which compels the people to surmise that there is something wrong somewhere.
Pres. Duterte was reported to be taking a medicine which affects his decision-making and allegedly his state of mind. He has been reported retracting from prior pronouncements regardless of their effect, but not on his order to kill whoever puts police officers’ life in danger while in the course of arrest. This is what bad elements in the society abuse causing massive number of EJKs across the archipelago, not necessarily drug-related.
Will there be a panacea to the inimical condition of the country’s peace and order? Nothing seems to be cure to a disease that is persisting in the society except peace of mind, blight like cancer that eats the system to create an unhealthy one. The police is one agency that is most admirable in maintaining tranquility and harmony in the society. It can never be a troop for the people to disparage if only it is led well and with fear of God. It is only when one fears God that the peace from within will well good decisions.
