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What made one bright morning drab and dreary was the shocking news that a fellow law practitioner, Atty. Martiniano Cornelio, was brutally murdered in his own home. (Our condolence to his family, and our prayers for the eternal repose of his soul.)
This is a wake up call to our local officials, to step up the drive against criminality in the City. What measures are undertaken to address the issue of peace and order?
For one thing, the first suspicion aired was that the prime motive was robbery.
This is one of the indicators of the offshoot of difficult economic times. There will more crimes against property, in relation to a high number of unemployed, more young people will engage in nefarious activities like Akyat Bahay, carnapping, bag snatching, illegal drugs trade, and the like.
As previously noted by our local leaders, Mayor Chiquiting Sagarbarria has already started to address the issue by initiating the purchase of closed circuit television(CCTV) to be able to monitor our major streets for the presence of wanted criminals or suspicious personalities.
It is incumbent upon the local police leadership to increase its visibility in our City streets. The City Government has to provide support to the police not only in the form of materials and equipment, but also in terms of more warm bodies to serve as police auxiliaries, or to increase the number and efficiency of the Barangay Intelligence Network.
These measures against crime and criminality are important because criminals have become bolder and more violent, as they can enter one’s home, and kill anyone who comes in his way. This cold-blooded murderers have no qualms about doing their heinous ways, and even try to hide their crime.
Worthy of note that most of the perpetrators are young people, and some of them are members of gangs who may just be doing the crime as a dare or as part of an initiation.
The local government of Sibulan is making its move to meet and dialogue with the members of the gangs. This is a first step in looking at these gang members in the eye, and making them accountable for the nefarious acts of its members.
Crimes in the streets are a different matter, and crimes committed in one’s home takes up to a higher level the degree of violence against one’s security.
Please help make our City safe. Let’s make peace and order a priority issue.