The police are again creating another Special Investigating Task Group (SITG). This time the purpose is to track down the perpetrators of the recent bombing of an unattended vehicle parked along EcoWest Drive at Ecoland Subdivision.
Why are the police so used to creating such a supposed special probe unit when the investigation of hard-to-crack crimes can better be done by one or two personnel continuously working on it without any fanfare? Doing the investigation silently may be more effective because the persons involved in the crime may be just too trusting that what they did is not given too much attention by the law enforcers.
The likelihood, therefore, is that they will become complacent and prone to committing reckless actions that may lead to the exposure of their dark secrets.
Is not a covert operation more likely to gain positive results than one that is on the radar of the public, including the criminals themselves?
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A year after the assumption of the members of the present Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City, we have yet to hear of one significant ordinance either still debated or passed by the local legislative body.
By significant, we mean one ordinance that will have a positive impact on local governance in the city as well as on the people in this metropolis. Say, we have not heard of any proposed measure that could enhance the environment of the city, one ordinance that will not necessarily dip into the city’s coffers to implement. Instead, we read about an ordinance institutionalizing the granting of financial incentives to athletes who the councilors said: “bring honor to the city.” Though not really substantial, such a reward system will drain the financial resources of the local government instead of enhancing it.
Actually, we are for the ordinance. But what we, and for certain, the people of Davao City, expect are local legislations that will have a lasting effect on the city and its people.
These days we are aware that the city is facing a burgeoning traffic problem. In the same vein, there is also a huge migration of people from the city’s rural communities to the urban centers. The reason is simple – job opportunities are in the city proper.
Why cannot the city government reverse the process? That is, instead of letting the rural folks converge to the city proper, let those entering the labor force in the rural areas look for work in their respective places, and those from the city proper explore seeking job opportunities outside of the urban center?
How can this be done? The SP can easily sit down with the Planning Unit of the Executive Department and review the existing Zoning Plan and work on finding possible areas of revision so locations of industries and related businesses can be dispersed. It is here that the incentives scheme may be more useful for the city. Yes, such incentives granted as having locators in newly designated rural areas enjoy certain tax holidays may reduce the income potential of the local government. However, the result, in the long run, will lead to the solution to a number of problems that the city is now experiencing and is sure to face in the near future.
Clearly, dispersing industry centers will result in the reduction of pollution in the city’s urban community. It will reduce the agglomeration of new colonies of informal settlers in the city center. In the same manner, there will be a substantial reduction in the volume of vehicles converging to the city’s downtown as new routes leading to the new economic enclaves will be established, and most workers residing in the areas will not anymore be coming down to the city’s central business district for work.
Meanwhile, urban residents may be prodded to relocate themselves to rural areas nearer to where they could be able to land jobs.
Of course, with the emergence of new industry hubs, it follows that new businesses will also sprout to cater to the needs of the residents of the developing rural communities. And from there, the Sanggunian can proceed in crafting measures that will make the new economic pockets more sustainable and livable as well.
And why are we pushing for measures relative to all that we are bringing out here? It is because these days, when wide, well-paved roads with concrete connecting bridges are already traversing the city, including most rural areas, locating and relocating industrial plants to these areas becomes even more enticing. And if the local government provides incentives, what more will bar them from relocating?
How are those as clues, Honorable Members of the local legislative body of Davao City?
