So the local law enforcement authorities confiscated several millions worth of prohibited addictive drugs, killed 7 suspected drug merchants, arrested over a hundred crime suspects including some who are in the list of Davao City’s “Most Wanted?” And this accomplishment happens in operations conducted in only about a month.
This is one exceptional feat for law enforcers assigned to maintain peace and order in the city, prevent crimes, and ensure that the city is secured from elements out to destroy the lives and properties of the people through terroristic activities.
But how come there are still so many who are engaged in the illegal drugs distribution and so huge volume of such drugs still circulating in the city? Was it not that our officials, the police included, were so bullish in claiming that Davao is a drug-free city with minimal crimes prevailing?
We are just wondering aloud how come that the city has gone back to that situation when illegal drug merchants and other criminals were lording over the streets and dark alleys doing their thing?
Was it because that during those times when the city was almost without crimes and illegal drug dealers they just cowered in fear because of intimidation and not out of respect of the laws and those who were tasked to implement the same?
Yes, we are harboring this suspicion because now based on the figures of index crimes, arrested suspects, and the value of illegal drugs confiscated by the authorities it is safe to say that the criminals, the drug merchants are back with a vengeance. They seem to be unmindful of the lessons in the city’s immediate past.
But we feel it fair to inform the public that the recent arrest of drug suspects with seven of them killed, the apprehension of other criminals, the confiscation of loose firearms happened at the period when the new City Police Director and the station commanders and their subjects were not yet relieved.
In other words the police officials concerned were largely responsible in attaining the earlier-mentioned accomplishment.
We can only hope that with the ouster of the 35 police officers and non-commissioned members of the force their replacement will be able to sustain the very impressive gains of the law enforcers in their fight against criminality in Davao City. In just a matter of one month.
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A trusted man of fugitive Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy was reported to have surrendered some 21 firearms alleged to be part of the religious leader’s “arsenal.”
Earlier reports however, said that the Pastor was issued license to possess and own 19 firearms. In other words there is inconsistency between the number of license guns and the number being surrendered first by an official of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ-owned collegiate school after his licenses were revoked, and later by the Quiboloy associate – a barangay executive of Tawantawan.
Moreover, in the report on the earlier surrender of five of the supposed 19 licensed guns the Pastor’s school executive told the police that the rest were already sold to another person. Now it turns out that the buyer who recently surrendered 21 firearms is another of the Pastor’s associates from Tawantawan, Baguio district.
What is apparently unfolding in this development in the Quiboloy saga is leaving a much bigger room for doubt as to the truth of the story on the pastor’s gun possession. How many guns have been issued with license to the head of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ religious sect? When was he issued the license and from whom did he acquire the guns?
How privileged the Pastor can be for being given the opportunity to own and possess such big number of deadly weapons! But in fairness to the Reverend Quiboloy up until he became a fugitive we haven’t heard of the good Pastor reported of having raised a private army of his own or for his church. Of course we know that he has allowed his broadcast stations to be used in the government’s fight against the Communist insurgents during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Reverend Pastor could be thinking that by doing so he would be risking his life as he may be unnecessarily dragged into the fight against the insurgents. So he could possibly be aiming at having some of his male church members be armed for immediate mobilization for his security.
One question however, that may arise from the Quiboloy acquisition of so many guns is why the police national leadership then gave him so much privilege? Will the present Police top leaders be equally generous to leaders of some other religious sects including Roman Catholic bishops and priests if they will also secure authority to acquire guns and have these licensed?
Meanwhile there is this intriguing scenario in the efforts of law enforcers to arrest the religious leader. It is apparent that with the number of days that the authorities failed to bring the Pastor to the fold of the law it could be interpreted as a lackadaisical performance of duty.
The public could have been more appreciative had the law enforcers hunting the Pastor are as quick in arresting him as their leaders both from the uniformed group and the civilian hierarchy were in issuing the pastor authority to possess and owned guns.
Unfortunately they are not.
