Soldier's Pen
By BGen. Alexander Cabales (Ret.)
Intervene if you must
Apprehension is defined by Daniel Webster as a
state of uneasiness over anticipated ill or undesirable conditions.
This is exactly the feeling of a number of students and parents
and employees of a private school in the city that is embroiled in a family
feud over control and ownership of the said institution. Many fear for their safety because of an
extended tug-of-war- between siblings abetted by a spouse of one of them over
the physical control (and most importantly the financial control, to put it
very bluntly) of the said school. It is
the talk of the town not only because of the impending trouble it would further
cause if the problem is not resolved soonest but also the seeming nonchalant
attitude of our local leaders to prevent a future disaster in this "most
livable city of the world."
Central Negros College (CNC) is a private property. The students, teachers and employees of the
school and their families may be referred to as the CNC community. Yet they
still belong to a bigger and more formal community of San Carlos.
In the military, we have this so called military communities
corresponding to the existence of fixed military bases and installations in a
certain area. The commanders of these
communities assume the responsibility of maintaining the quality of life of his
people including that of their families even if they are not part of the formal
military organization. The military
commander therefore makes sure that he is always on top of the situation
appertaining to his little community.
In turn, this community is part of a still bigger community - a
city or town - where the base is geographically located. Hence, the real and elected community leaders
of the bigger community also get involved in the happenings in that military
community. He ensures that the usual basic services are provided.
The local police and the courts do not make exceptions in these
areas. After all, the residents of these
military communities are still his constituents - they voted for him.
The situation of CNC has already caused a lot of tension. Under normal conditions, the CNC community
leader could act on its internal problems but the chain of command, in military
parlance, has been broken.
The community therefore was caught in between a war that is not
theirs. This should be the time that the concerns of this CNC community are
addressed by the bigger community representing the city.
When the local PNP becomes just a supporting role to forces
outside of the control of the city, it becomes alarming. It tells us that we are not in control. When there is forcible entry and takeover of
the property, when we endanger the lives of defenseless students and employees,
and when the peace in the periphery of the school is disturbed, the situation
is out of hand.
When apprehension is constantly in the air and when the future
of the academic pursuits of the students becomes uncertain, something needs to
be done to allay these feelings.
It may be time to lift a finger. Perhaps it is time that the inherent
responsibility of the Father of the City is utilized for good use just to
promote the welfare of countless members of his constituency. The city may need to intervene before blood
flows, property destroyed and anarchy becomes the name of the game.
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