ERNESTO MACEDA: CAN OCHOA HACK IT AS
ANTI-CRIME & -CORRUPTION CZAR?
MANILA, JUNE 21, 2011 (STAR)
SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH By Ernesto M. Maceda - After so many murders,
kidnappings, carjackings, rapes and hold-ups, President Aquino finally took note
of the extremely serious criminality problem of the country by issuing Executive
Order No. 46 reorganizing the Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission
(PAOCC) and installing Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa as Anti Crime and Anti
Corruption czar.
The appointment of Executive Secretary Ochoa as PAOCC chairman, also as chair
of the powerful Cabinet Cluster on Security plus the non-appointment of Mar
Roxas as chief of staff solidifies the position of Ochoa and the Samar faction
as the ruling group in the Aquino administration.
While there are suggestions that Ochoa is now overloaded with too many
responsibilities, it remains to be seen whether he can handle the multiple
assignments.
Three things are going in his favor: 1) He has no political ambitions and can
make crucial decisions without the baggage of being a political party president;
2) He has the complete trust and confidence of the President and therefore, he
can decide expeditiously on cases that need to be disposed of immediately; 3) He
has the full backing of Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and his big majority in
the House of Representatives, as well as Senator Francis Escudero and members of
the President's family.
Good luck, Chairman Ochoa. The lives of millions of Filipinos now depend on
you.
* * *
WHAT TO DO? Consider the following:
1. Ensure the full coordination of the programs of the PNP, NBI, AFP, DOJ and
DILG in the anti crime effort;
2. Mount a serious campaign to collect loose and unlicensed firearms,
estimated at over a million, stop gunrunning and smuggling and tighten the
issuance of permits to carry firearms by the PNP Firearms and Explosives unit;
3. Direct the DILG Secretary to hold the Mayor jointly responsible with the
Chief of Police for the prevention and solution of index crimes in their
municipality. If there is a one strike policy against jueteng, the more reason
there is for at least a three strike policy against murder, kidnapping and
carjacking in a city or municipality;
4. Push the adoption of reforms in the PNP, further upgrade the training of
police detectives and investigators, including drug testing for all policemen
and a lifestyle check for all officers from chief inspector to chief
superintendent;
5. Find ways to improve the conviction rate of criminals which is now below
10 percent, add a hundred more prosecutors and form several mobile prosecutor
teams to be assigned in crime prone areas. Policemen who fail to appear in court
must be suspended;
6. Study further how barangay chairmen and their tanods can serve as active
leaders in preventing crime in their areas, especially identifying drug pushers,
exposing drug laboratories, fencers for stolen goods including car parts. They
may also identify gun holders in the barangay;
7. Increase the gasoline allocation of police cars, add more motorcycle cops,
retain private lawyers in every major police station to help police
investigators;
8. Improve the shooting efficiency of police officers by increasing their
periodic target shooting practice, replace the old guns and increase their
bullet allocations;
9. Give cash incentives for policemen who solve index crimes and be liberal
in promoting the policemen who perform well;
10. Make representations with the Supreme Court to designate more criminal
courts;
The protection of the citizenry is a primary responsibility of government. It
is in compliance with the President's oath to do justice to every man.
President Estrada and then General Panfilo Lacson showed that the war against
crime can be won and the police reformed.
* * *
SHUT UP. . . As usual, the venerable Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has
come out with a valid criticism of Malacañang officials. Enrile has advised
Secretaries Lacierda, Carandang and Valte to stop talking about the Spratlys
dispute with China and leave the talking to DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario.
Enrile cautioned Malacañang not to agitate China by irresponsible statements
being made by three Palace communications secretaries.
* * *
SUPER PRODUCTION. . . The colorful and feisty Senator Miriam Defensor
Santiago pulled off a political and social coup by bringing together the top
political, business and media leaders to join her Ruby anniversary wedding
entourage.
From politics, she had President Benigno S. Aquino III (Best Man), President
Gloria M. Arroyo, President Joseph Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Chief
Justice Renato Corona, Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel Villar, Juan Miguel
Zubiri, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Bong Revilla, Antonio
Trillanes, DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas, Rep. Imelda Marcos, Executive Secretary Jojo
Ochoa, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Sec.
Esperanza Cabral and Gemma Cruz-Araneta.
From the business sector: PLDT boss Manny Pangilinan, SMC chief Eduardo
Cojuangco Jr., SM Group and BDO chair Tessie Sy Coson, Bulletin owner Don Emilio
Yap, United Laboratories president Jocelyn Campos Hess, Lopez Group boss Dr.
Oscar Lopez, banker Evelyn Singson and Aboitiz executive Beatriz Cristine
Aboitiz.
Besides Bulletin chairman Yap, media moguls present were Atty. Felipe Gozon
of GMA-7, Isaac Belmonte of Philippine STAR, Marixi Prieto of Philippine Daily
Inquirer, Korina Sanchez of ABS-CBN, Teddy Boy Locsin and Manila Broadcasting
Co. executive Liza Macuja Elizalde.
The influential bride requested and got President Estrada, Rep. Marcos, Sen.
Jinggoy Estrada and maid of honor Heart Evangelista to render musical numbers.
* * *
QUOTATION OF THE WEEK: "We are lucky we have an honest President. But an
honest President is not enough. We need a President who can control government.
Not control the entire country but control government officials at least under
the executive branch." — Sen. Ping Lacson
* * *
TIDBITS. . . Greetings to our readers Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Shirley
Plaza, Ex UP President Jose Abueva and Atty. Romy Macalintal.
With several hundred witnesses, no one has come forward to identify the
assassin of Calbayog Mayor Reynaldo Uy.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose
Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------
