Complaints about the poor quality of some packed meals and rough accommodations for police personnel assigned to provide route security for delegates of the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Cebu wouldn’t have gotten anwhere if they had not been reported in the news or circulated on social media.
The publicity prompted police leaders to check the food caterers and carton sheet beds of their men. The no-frills conditions were not the irritant per se. It was the doubt that a P300 per person allowance was not being spent right.
The indignation was a healthy spur against the tendency of the government to take for granted the sacrifice of men and women in uniform.
The sting of the Mamasapano massacre is still fresh.
While the bloodbath of a botched anti-terrorist operation was used by Vice President Jejomar Binay and the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) as political ammunition against the President, the complaints of inadequate food and accommodations in the local media just attracted the lone attention of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
He said he would look into it.
Over 2,000 police personnel from other provinces were pulled in to Cebu for APEC duty.There was budget for them at P300 per day that should cover a decent meal at P100 each.
So when news photos appeared of police sentries making do with stingy portions of two fried lumpia (spring rolls), an egg and one cup of rice, with bottled water, the odor of corruption spoiled the meal.
Police officials were quick to explain that the budget was reduced to less than P150 a day only for the first few days because of delayed release of funds and red tape.
If not for the clamor raised in the news media on the policemen’s behalf, they would still be having merienda bites instead of full meals.
It’s not fair, of course, to generalize the quality of service of about ten caterers contracted to fill the stomachs of police sentries.
The Police Regional Office said it took time to screen caterers since the Commission on Audit wouldn’t allow bidding, and that any complaints were isolated.
But concerned citizens breathed easier when the news images showed meal packs of happy policemen eating two viands, two cups of rice and dessert with juice or cola to wash down the meal.
The presence of so many policemen on the roads on 12-hour shifts has kept APEC activities safe and crime incidence down in Metro Cebu.
So we should thank the police, especially the out-of-town recruits, for being there.
They don’t expect VIP treatment. They are the ones providing VIP attention for special guests in the name of free trade and APEC. In return, their basic needs should be taken care of by the government.