The Unity mantra

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

The Director General of the Philippine National Police has declared that there will be "no cover up" on the recent assault by his men on the Provincial Capitol of Iloilo Province. The head of the troop that conducted the operation had admitted that more force than warranted had been employed in the operation.

It seems they are more realistic than the civilian officials who keep on insisting that what the police operatives, in battle gear, and bearing modern high-powered firearms as well as old fashioned mallets for smashing glass doors and panels, had done could still be considered as reasonable and that it was justifiable. One of them even chastised the head of the Commission on Human Rights for condemning the procedure, as did other officials and plain citizens.

The top officials of the police, however are trying to placate the enraged citizenry by vowing that there will be no cover up in the investigation. They know that the entire country had seen, as if they were actually there at the capitol, exactly what had happened. Thanks to the alertness and courage of media people on the scene, no bland statements claiming that no undue force was used, that the policemen were simply following instructions - and that was to ensure that the elected governor leaves the office - has come from them.

The afterthoughts about the alleged presence of armed rebels being brought to the capitol, and of prisoners bearing arms also in the premises to prevent government men from taking out Governor Niel Tupas, aside from being incredible, only worsened matters because the instant television footages did not show anybody with weapons, or even just fighting back.

This is just another example of how the agencies concerned, the Police, the Justice Department, and even the CHR, still cannot get their acts together. And yet we speak of unity, unity, and unity as if it were the mantra of this government.*