The capital city of Dumaguete has a new chief-of-police in the person of P/Supt James Goforth, whose marching orders from the regional headquarters is to stay clean and enforce the laws.
Goforth’s surname might be foreign sounding, but his roots and looks are very Filipino and come from Cebu.
Meanwhile, Bayawan City has lost its chief, who resigned, claiming that he is unable to stop illegal gambling and illegal drug peddling in the south.
The resignation of P/Supt Ramon Picardal was lauded by the provincial police director.
There is this much publicized order of the regional police chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo of eradicating illegal gambling and illegal drugs, which, to the minds of many people, is close to an impossible task, since both vices are customer-driven, meaning, so long as people patronize suertres and addicts continue to use illegal drugs, the malady cannot be eradicated.
What their superior police officers here might have meant by “zero tolerance” as their working orders for the police to eliminate suertes and the drug menace is that major arrests should be made by the local police, and not allow drugs and suertres to operate like as if ran by untouchables who commit crimes under the very noses of the people whom they are avowed to protect.
This is the one the top brass in the PNP describes as the failure of the city police to present a meaningful and impressive campaign against drugs and suertres, even as eliminating the vice is next to impossible. (by Choy Gallarde)
