Why back out?

I was flabbergasted to learn that the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors Office inhibited in handling the case of the police officers in the Highway Patrol Group who stand accused of killing lawyer Noel Archival.

The reasons given don’t warrant backing out of the case which involves a lawyer from Cebu City. A hearing in Manila would cause unnecessary expense and inconvenience for the parties and may eventually affect the disposition of justice. Far from the public eye, justice may be compromised. That’s why I am against the prosecutors office inhibiting and disappointed they decided it with no justifiable reason. They just adopted the position of the defense counsel.

Public outrage over the case will not necessarily influence the wisdom and judgment of the magistrate especially if evidence is strong and convincing.

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Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama recently vetoed the solo parent ordinance which requires a solo parent to be a registered voter in the last three elections to qualify for the benefits. This provision makes it more of a political ordinance and defeats the purpose of giving financial assistance to solo parents.

Why require voter’s registration and three elections? If the reason is to be sure that the solo parent is a resident of Cebu City, I believe that it is unfair because not all people may be able to vote or even believe in the exercise.

There should be a better way to determine if the single parent is a city resident. This is a similar argument presented by senior citizens in availing of the city’s cash assistance. Some complained about the voter’s requirement. When Mayor Rama was asked about it he said this was not required to qualify to receive the subsidy since there are other and better ways to determine city residency. I agree with the mayor.

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I am very concerned about the proliferation of illegal drugs and loose firearms in Cebu. Daily news reports of drug pushers being apprehended and shooting incidents worry me.

I had a brief talk with Senior Supt. Noli Romana and asked the Cebu City police chief about it.

I suggested the explanation that it is easy to procure firearms from Danao City because it is accessible and very affordable.

Drug abuse is not only the concern of the police but of the entire community. But the reality is that the public is scared to report information about drug activities because the drug pushers may get back at them and police are nowhere in sight to protect them.

I know there are many in the community who have seen suspicious activities in areas where even policemen visit.

But all we get is loose talk and no one reports to the police to have it checked. I really hope a concerted effort is made to curb drug abuse in Cebu and citizens feels secure enough to report activities in their areas because the police badly need the cooperation of the public.

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The latest unfortunate news is the murder of a Cebuano businessman who was visiting one of his companies in Davao City.

Richard King of the Crown Regency chain of hotels was gunned down by a lone killer who didn’t bother to hide his face when he carried out the deed.

Mayor Digong Duterte of Davao city vowed to go after the killer and, hopefully, also the mastermind. My condolences to the bereaved family of the late Richard King whose daughter was a classmate of my niece.