Our police and the Saguisag case

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor GUILLERMO TEJIDA III Desk Editor NANETTE L. GUADALQUIVER Busines Editor CEDELF P. TUPAS Sports Editor (On Leave) RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

What happened to former senator Rene Saguisag, his wife and their two other companions in their vehicle when it was hit by a dump truck that dragged it some 30 meters away from the site of impact, should be a wake-up call to our own traffic officers in Bacolod City .

The whole country was shocked to hear about the accident where Saguisag's wife, Dulce, a former cabinet member who served as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, was killed instantly, and the former senator and their driver very seriously injured. As gleaned from all the reports on the accident, the truck had obviously been trying to beat the red light and had speeded through the intersection. At the same time, Saguisag's driver, seeing the light on their side already turned green, drove through and got hit by the much heavier vehicle. This happened at about 2 a.m. when traffic, even in Manila , is not as thick as it would be during daytime.

In Bacolod , where several new traffic lights have been installed lately, drivers, both of private as well as public utility vehicles, are very often seen doing exactly what the driver of the truck that hit the Saguisag van did. This has been observed, especially in those intersections where the traffic lights are relatively new. Anyone who would take the time to observe driver behavior in those areas would not fail to see the risks being taken by those who keep rushing on even when the warning yellow light is already on. Not only that, some actually go even when the light has turned red.

That is, of course, inviting trouble, but those drivers disregard the fact that they are playing, not only with their own lives, but those of their passengers and of pedestrians as well. What could our police do about this?

For one, our Police Chief and his Traffic tsar should detail men to watch and strictly apprehend violators to send the message that they are serious. A few weeks of such monitoring will surely “educate” those risk-takers. Surely, too, our Police Department can spare the personnel to do this? That is, if they are not busy watching TV in their stations, as a Judge once noted.*