Davao City comedy no longer funny

What will it profit this administration to mar the image and reputation of Davao City as the most livable place in the country and the second most peaceful place in Southeast Asia?

The administration used one of the instruments of peace — the Philippine National Police — to create an atmosphere of chaos by sending battalions of special action forces in search of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy over ridiculous charges filed in the trial court of the Philippine Senate.

For the first time in the course of judicial proceedings, masked witnesses were called to testify and were identified only by their aliases.

Earlier, in the “Lower Court” presided over by Martin Romualdez, the prosecutors ruled to suspend the operations of SMNI TV and Radio Networks when two of its commentators asked about the status of the P2.8-billion travel budget of the presiding officer.

SMNI has been effectively silenced but not YouTube, which both courts have no jurisdiction over.

In another attempt to scuttle the peaceful atmosphere in the city, 35 members of the multi-awarded Davao City Police Office were relieved for neutralizing members of a drug syndicate. If that was not enough, 19 police station commanders responsible for the peace and stability in the city were transferred to other places.

The DCPO commanding officer was replaced one after the other in rapid succession within 10 hours, causing city officials and residents to ask whether the changes in command were sane or plain insanity on the part of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

In response, the new Regional Director of the PNP, Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, came out with preposterous reasons. The DCPO earned the distinction and prestige because it manipulated the crime statistics.

That is one assertion that is a supreme insult to the police force and, I think, neither the policemen, who are now dispersed and displaced from their homes and families, will ever forget this barb.

I wonder too whether the Philippine Army and Task Force Davao (TFD) are happy with these remarks given the fact that Davao City was the first to be declared by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as insurgent free. We gave all the credit to the AFP, PNP and NTF-ELCAC, and the local government in that order.

A report by the Philippines News Agency quoted Torre as saying that there were “severe discrepancies” in the crime statistics. Torre also noted an inadequate police response time in Davao City.

Torre said the DCPO report also showed there were killings more frequently than physical assaults, which is inconsistent with Davao’s reputation as a very safe city.

The police general said that some police officials “sanitized” police blotters so they would not reflect the real situation in their areas of responsibility.

This accusation is a slap in the face of previous regional commanders, especially those of the DCPO. I do not know whether Sen. Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa and those before and after him will take this sitting down.

In a bid to ensure swift police response, Torre proposed the implementation of a 3-minute response time (3MRT), which he initiated as chief of the Quezon City Police District.

I do not know whether I should believe and be comfortable with General Torre given the PNP reports that Quezon City has the distinction of being at the top of the list of cities with the highest crime rate in the Philippines

I am saying this not to prick the ego of General Torre for, after all, he might have something better in his 3MRT than what Davao City’s 911 emergency response network and TFD can offer, but I merely commiserate with some of our fine police officers and men who made our city