Friendly Observer
By Arthur Keefe
Campaigning journalism
My brave campaigning colleague has again exposed
poor performance by a public official. At least the allegation is that the
principal of Tandang Sora Elementary School was disrespectful to one of the parents
seeking the necessary endorsement for receipt of the family's 4Ps benefit. If
this is a false allegation, then the individual has the right to REPLY in the
columns of this paper. If the charge is not disputed, we can but assume it is
true.
The problem in San Carlos seems to be that when a public
official is caught offering poor performance, or worse, corruption as is the
original 4Ps scandal, no penalty seems to follow. The person may be moved, but
not demoted. They may be spoken to privately, but this is not known to the
victim.
The role of a community newspaper is to hold public (or
private) officials to account. The role of the agency providing the service is
to take action to prevent any further abuse or shortfall in standards. If no
action is taken, public exposure is no deterrent and public cynicism about
those in power protecting each other will grow.
In the case of the school principal-who may well in other
respects do a good job-I do not know-a public admonishment may be sufficient as
a warning.
For corruption (taking money from the poor) as in the other
case, dismissal is the only just outcome, yet nothing has happened to our
knowledge. We are not even aware of the money taken being confiscated.
**********
On another matter, I note that the government in Manila is to
increase the police budget and employ another 3,000 personnel.
Two thoughts occur. Firstly, the police are seriously hampered
in their investigation by the lack of a central database so that suspects can
be tracked throughout the Philippines. It is all too easy for criminals to
evade capture by simply moving around and changing their name. Investing in
better information systems and better forensic science is likely to yield more
results than extra boots on the ground.
Secondly, converting desk based jobs to civilian posts can save
considerably on the budget and ensure the police spend their time on law
enforcement not on pen pushing. Increasing police numbers may not be the best
use of the resources available.
**********
On yet another matter, regular readers of my column will know
that road safety is one of my pet themes-mainly because of its absence here!
I was pleased to see the repainting of the pedestrian crossings
in the city, especially outside the schools, but questions remain.
1. Why was this not done for the start of the school year, but
three months into the semester?
2. Why was the paint used an ordinary house paint which will
disappear again in a month or two, when specialist paints are used elsewhere
with a lifespan of years not months?
3. Why is there no education or enforcement regarding
pedestrian priority on marked crossings? In other countries, vehicles stop to
allow people to cross. Here they seem to try to hit them! I used to stop but
other vehicles, seeing this as a sign of weakness, I suppose, they'd overtake
me, putting the pedestrian at greater risk. I have been forced to ignore the
crossings to protect the pedestrian!
On the same theme, I still also not know why the traffic
enforcers allow cars and motorbikes to park on sidewalks, forcing pedestrians
into the road. this is particularly true alongside PNB, where a black Honda
sedan parks for most of the day and customers of the bank come and go from the
adjacent sidewalk, treating it as a handy car park.
I always park on the opposite side of the road, where there is
always space.
Is it ignorance, selfishness, stupidity, or just custom and
practice which continues because it is never checked? Compliance follows
enforcement.
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