Teach them respect for ambulances

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 RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Today's issue includes an item about three men who were arrested for throwing broken been bottles at two passing ambulances in Sum-ag, Bacolod City. The ambulances, one of them carrying a patient, came from La Carlota City and La Castellana town. The bottles caused damage to the vehicles, causing them to stop. The drivers chased the culprits who turned out to be, not reckless children or even teen-agers, but fully grown men, adults, who should have known better.

Responding policemen from the barangay precinct arrested the mischief-makers and detained them. Charges are now being readied against them and may have been filed already as of this writing.

The act of throwing things at passing vehicles is reprehensive enough but when, as in this case, the object is an ambulance, a vehicle whose function is to bring patients, mostly emergency cases, to the hospital, it is needed unpardonable, and should be punished with the full force of the law. Let us hope the police, the drivers, and the witnesses do not back out from this case because they will only be encouraging such vandalism and disregard for human life if they do.

The incident also reminds us of the behavior of many drivers, both in the city and in the highways of the province, with regards to ambulances. It can be noticed that many of them do not move aside and give way even when ambulances are wailing behind. Aside from this being a manifestation of ignorance and lack of courtesy, it could also be very dangerous, not only to other vehicles, but also to the ambulance and the patient it is rushing to the hospital.

The behavior of such drivers show that they do not know the rules, or are blatantly ignoring them. It is therefore the duty of our police, both in the town and city streets, and on the highways, to apprehend or at least, call the attention of such drivers if we are to prevent more casualties on the road.*