YESTERDAY, we read several related posts on social media claiming that there is an upsurge in crimes. Unfortunately, the posts did not specifically mention whether the crime rise is all over the Philippines or in certain areas only, say Davao City.
The posts however, mentioned the resurgence of the alleged kidnapping of young individuals – no, not for ransom purposes but allegedly for extraction of body organs such as liver, kidney, and others to be sold at exorbitant prices to those who are badly in need and are capable of paying.
While there is no mention of places we assume that it is in Davao City. Why, because also, yesterday morning we read a post on Facebook done by a barangay captain seriously advising parents of youth in the barangay to have their children already home by 10 o’clock in the evening. The village chief says in his post that certain unusual incidents like kidnapping are happening that may lead the young people to perdition.
In fact in our earlier mentioned posts now shared by many netizens, a sketch of the vehicles used, as well as the Plate Numbers were included. The color green van has Plate No. VXE – 351, while the colored white vehicle has Plate No. VMM 502. A sketch of one of the kidnappers was also included. The letters in the Plate Numbers are issued in a particular region though, not in Southern Mindanao.
With such detailed information, it is clear that somebody was within the vicinity when the incident happened. He/she could be the one who gave the police the description of the vehicles and the suspects who might have done the grab.
Indeed if the alleged kidnapping happened in Davao City and is correctly attributed to be one of the causes of the claim that there is an unwanted increase in crimes in this part of the country, how does it affect the accolade the city acquired as in the top slot for safest cities in the whole of Southeast Asia? Or could this be part of a script to picture Davao City as chaotic now that the police are considered not the preferred peace and order guardians by the city’s civilian authorities?
We believe however, that whether or not the claimed upsurge in criminality is caused by the “not so desirable” relations of the current police leadership and the city officialdom, or the new courage of criminals to do their thing in the city, the problem has to be addressed collectively by the police and civilian officials, with the cooperation of the people in the community. If any of the three refuses to do its part then the crime upsurge will continue at the expense of the city residents.
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Honestly, we have heard of the complaints of stall holders on the second floor of the renovated Agdao Public Market. Yes, we have a niece and a nephew who own a stall each selling pork meat and its by-products like longganisa in that market. When their stalls were still on the ground floor before the renovation they could dispose of a combined ten (10) heads in one day. Today they claim, they could only dispose of a maximum of five butchered hogs. And seldom does it happen except when there are major celebrations in the areas of their regular customers.
While they admire the current cleanliness and orderliness of the market including the second floor, they said most customers now would rather go to clandestinely displayed meat products by some market meat vendors in strategic locations at the first level of the building.
And it is not only the meat dealers who are complaining, according to our relatives. Even those selling dry goods and other related merchandise whose stalls are on the second floor are also suffering from disappearing customers.
It is our take that this problem must be seriously looked into by the market management in cooperation with the affected vendors. They should adopt measures that will address the same if only to prevent the flight of some vendors that could cause the loss of the local government’s substantial market income.
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News report: Bong Go sends immediate assistance to fire victims. The fire occurred last January 30 in Dumoy, Davao City. The senator’s immediate assistance was done through his Malasakit Center team.
With the Senator’s fast response, it is clear that the Malasakit Center which was created by law and mainly sponsored by the Senator from Davao City, is not bereft of the resources needed to respond for assistance whenever and wherever it is needed. In other words, the national government is not denying Go’s Malasakit Center the amount it needs to continue implementing its very laudable service despite the senator’s being closely identified with the Dutertes.
Isn’t this rather contradictory to the claims of some politicians that their offices cannot longer facilitate in assisting indigent victims of calamities or maladies because they are denied funds from the national government due to their political alignment?
