Challenge to cops

The daylight killing Thursday morning of Police Officer 3 Rolando Malate, 43, is a challenge to the Bacolod police and a test to its ability to swiftly solve a crime against one of its own.

I consider the shooting down of Malate by one of two unidentified suspects aboard a motorcycle a virtual show of contempt for the Bacolod cops.  A dare as to whether they can swiftly run down the culprits.

If, as suspected, they belong to the drug underworld, the gunmen must either be confident that their minions in the ranks of the cops can protect them, or just showing the authorities they cannot be touched because they enjoy protection from someone big.

This is a real dare for Chief of Police Ricardo de la Paz.  Of late, there had been several such incidents.  The victims are also police officers.  In effect, that unlike police elsewhere, the local criminals feel impregnable and are willing to expose themeselves because they are confident that the local cops will not be able to solve the cases.

Thus, the only reason why they had to kill him in the presence of his daughter in front of the Tay Tung High School.

The motorcycle driver reportedly had a helmet to cover his face.  The gunman just had a ski mask on.  Both roared away after the shooter had poured seven bullets from a .45 caliber pistol on Malate, reports said.

Now, consider the street where this had occurred, usually this is a scene of an early morning crowd.

In short, the gunmen were not afraid they could be accosted or challenged.  Instead they just wanted to send a message to the police – “You can’t do anything about this” it seemed, was the dare.

Okay, Malate having been involved in the city’s Anti-Drug abuse drive must have earned the ire of the members of the syndicate behind the drug business.

But the fact that he was killed with seven gunshot wounds indicate that the shooters were not professional gunmen.

But then, as in similar cases in other areas, the warning had been issued.  Come and get us. We are not afraid of you.

Thus, de la Paz himself opted to head the task force created to handle the investigation.

In short, the police chief now considers this case as a personal challenge to him.  And we believe that De la Paz has the will to address problem swiftly.  Or else the public will lose confidence in the police’s ability to protect them from harm.

The challenge has been accepted.  Now, let us see how fast it can be settled.

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The four-day visit here of Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari and his wife, Silvana, augurs the possibility of improved trade relations with Italy and Negros Occidental, especially on organic food products.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. also said the personal tour by the Italian envoy and his wife of the scenic spots of the province will also indubitably encourage more Italian visitors to visit Negros Occidental while they can have more “fantastic” sights was described by Ambassador Fornari.

Very few are aware that there are hundreds of thousands of Filipino OFWs in Italy.  They are mostly in Rome and Naples.  But there has been a growing number of them there.  And they are what Fr. Michael de la Cruz, a Filipino priest, described as the more populous parishioners of Italy’s Catholic churches.

What was surprising was that there are only eight reported Italians in Negros Occidental whom Ambassador Fornari talked with at the Nature’s Village where he met with them upon his arrival from Manila.

Thursday night’s reception for the Italian envoy and his wife may usher in a new chapter in the trade relationship between Negros Occidental and Italy.

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E-Trike promises to boost the income of tricycle drivers and also protect the environment.

This was accented Thursday when Rep. Teodoro Haresco turned over an E-Trike to Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson with Councilor Carl Lopez.

Haresco, a representative of the Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran Party, said he believes that the electrically-powered solar assisted energy will increase the take home earnings of trike drivers from a monthly P4,700 to P12,500.

The E-Trike comfortably carries up to six passengers said Haresco,

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The boom seems to be lowering over the family of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Mike Arroyo.  Now the former first Gentleman is also a possible accused in the plunder raps arising from the sale of two second-hand helicopters sold as brand new to the PNP.

This time, should the charges be filed against Arroyo, both of them will not be able to leave the country. Arroyo, for the time being, had granted an exit from the Philippines.*

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