SPO1 Arthur Sabang may rue the day that he tried to take on Masbate Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, her son Placer Mayor Joshua Judd Lanete II and her security detail at the entrance gate of the Cebu City Sports Center during last Sunday’s Sinulog Grand Parade competition.
The police officer may have thought that the governor and her son were spoiled, arrogant, self-important rich people who surround themselves with police as a sign of privilege and power, not government officials who were accompanying their Kulturang Placereno contingent in the competition.
Aside from pointing an M16 rifle with flashlight on them, Sabang punctuated his disdain on the group by angrily insulting them, said Edgar de Lara, Masbate’s provincial environment and natural resources officer and a retired policeman.
“God damn it! Hindi kayo taga rito, aarestuhin ko kayo! (You’re not from here, I will arrest you),” Sabang is quoted to have shouted at the governor, her son and her security detail.
Even when a police officer tried to identify himself in order to reassure Sabang, it did little to improve that Cebu City police officer’s demeanor and attitude. Sabang may have thought that with a rifle in his hands, he could scream and intimidate the governor’s group into leaving.
Then again the police officer may have been put off by the governor and her group hurrying to enter the center, which was understandable because they want to see their home contingent in action at the center grounds.
As reported by this paper, the governor is no stranger to threats and violence. She survived two ambush attacks that killed three of her bodyguards and lost her brother, former congressman Fausto Jr., to an assassination.
Thus the governor was justified in keeping a security detail with her for safety purposes. Too bad Sabang wasn’t told by his superiors about that one little important fact. Then he wouldn’t have been so heavy-handed and may have been a bit more conscious.
It’s not like Gov. Lanete used her security detail to intimidate Sabang like what Makati City Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr. did when he and his contingent tried to enter a subdivision and harassed the security guards who were only doing their jobs.
Sabang may be a fine Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officer, but when it comes to securing people, his attitude certainly needs an adjustment that perhaps only a criminal complaint can do for him.
Based on the incident report, Sabang wasn’t provoked in any way into doing what he did to the governor and her son. Common sense and basic courtesy dictates that guests are to be treated with utmost hospitality and the governor and her son are guests of Cebu City.
Senior Supt. Conrad Capa, acting Cebu City police chief, should teach his people to observe basic courtesy lest they be haled to court for their arrogance and their aggressive behavior.
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