Shared leadership
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It was an interesting spectacle to watch the squad of local SWAT personnel
at the People’s Mansion last Friday during the weekly “Kita ug ang
Gobernador” radio program.
Watching them in their all-black commando attire, bristling with modern tools
of killing and obviously very fit and young, one cannot imagine any stupid fool
who dare cross their way.
I can easily compare them to the lethal capability of the Expendables.
Haven’t watch it yet, goodness, you’re missing a lot of action.
But I advise those with ultra-sensitive dispositions to skip it. Only those who
enjoy gory scenes can appreciate the “beauty” of the film.
Got me, Roberto?
***
The squad of local SWAT just had their moment of glory.
They bagged several suspects believed to be involved in the series of
holdups in the province.
Good intelligence and better coordination with police authorities and they
suceeded.
From what I gathered, somebody fed them information, they acted on it
pronto, posted a lookout and attacked.
And they apprehended the suspects.
But after a running and pursuing spree.
As I gathered, 2 suspects got away.
They were better and faster runner than the local SWAT.
Maybe, the local SWAT should train more and improve their running ability.
That way, they can outrun and outperform the next suspects on their
eyesight.
Capisce!
***
I can understand the shame and embarrassment of the local SWAT over the
very poor performance of their counterparts in Manila.
Obviously, the Manila SWAT were not prepped for the job. The job
description was simply too much.
They should have overcome their personal interest to the interest of the
hostages.
They were not equipped with the basic tools like bullet-proof vest, gas masks,
and training. Their bodies also need a lot of trimming, the excess fats easily
got in the way.
Imagine that SWAT guy with the bulging tummy trying very hard to enter a
smashed door fit only for a “pygmy.”
As a matter of fact, I wholeheartedly agree that those poor guys during the
the bungled hostage-taking were armed only with a false sense of bravado.
They wanted the action for themselves. They did not want to share it with
their more capable and better armed peers.
They lost miserably because they were fighting incredible forces.
They were fighting Mendoza, armed and very dangerous because he was
prompted by a sense of hopelessness. One way of saying that he was
already suicidal.
And the SWAT were also fighting against the pesky members of the media
who wanted a share of the action.
They wanted to outscoop each other. They wanted to have the first shot of
the action. The closer, the clearer, the better.
So the poor SWAT guys only had a very slim chance of winning.
***
The local SWAT guys are, thanks God, fit and healthy-looking. And most of
them are young too.
Young, so they still have the energy, the reflexes, and sometimes, the daring
and the bravado of being young; that counts a lot when confronted with
overwhelming odds.
They are also brimming with pride, after their strings of successful operations.
But there is one thing to consider.
***
In the bungled “hostaking” in the Quirino Grandstand, there were other SWAT
guys around.
There were Special Action Force from the PNP. There were also elite forces
from the AFP.
But they were sidelined because the Manila Police was not willing to give
up and relinquish their hold on the situation. They wanted the action for
themselves.
So the problem was one of coordination.
Even if the government has the necessary resources to deal with the
situation, the key word would still be coordination.
And coordination was thrown into Pasig River during the crucial time of the
negotiation.
The ground commander failed to see the problem of coordinating with all
avaiable resources.
***
In the case of our local SWAT, I mean PITU for Police Intervention Tactical
Unit, the success of the elite squad remains with good intelligence and
coordination.
This means they have the necessary implements of the trade, like guns,
bullets, vests, communication facilities and transport.
Guns and bullets, no problem so far.
Vests, a little problematic.
Communication facilities and transport, that’s already a big problem.
They don’t have secured communication facilities.
And they don’t have a reliable transport system.
What they have is an “ukay-ukay” kind of transport that’s good only
for “imprisoning jaywalkers” to make it useful.
***
The province of Bohol is fully supporting the PITU. Governor Edgar Chatto in
fact commended last Friday the elite squad after the successful arrest of the
suspects in Loon.
Never mind those who outrunned them. They would be arrested soon,
provided of course that the elite squad will start practicing fast and long
distance running.
How will the province help?
By giving financial assistance, of course.
Yes, but not that fast.
Governor Chatto said he would first ask for an inventory of the SWAT
expenditures because he wanted to know what happened to the assistance
he gave the SWAT during his incumbency as congressman in the 1st district
of Bohol.
He said he gave the SWAT no less than half a million pesos.
What happened to the money, Gov. Chatto is asking the SWAT officials
***
It is pitiable to see the PITU being bugged down by petty problems like no
transpo, no gasoline, the car won’t start, no battery, no tires.
It is likewise pitiable to witness the PITU trading shots with suspects and
the PITU operative couldn’t hit the suspect because of defective bullets or
defective guns.
And more problematic too, if the PITU will only wait for emergency calls
from volunteers because they don’t have good intelligence on their own.
**
Can we shield the PITU from the same operational problem like coordination?
Col. Rudy Llorca said there are first and second level of operations.
The first level will be handled by the local force. There will come a time that
the situation is too much and they would signal for the second phase.
The PITU will come in in the second level.
Good.
Now, how do we know if the local force will call for the 2nd level?
The ground commander retains full control. So if the ground commander
doesn’t like to give up the situation, doesn’t relinquish control, the PITU will
just be sidelined.
They will just be watching, they cannot do anything.
In that scenario, we will be watching a repeat of the bungled Manila hostage
drama.
And this time, it’s happening in Bohol.
***
Anyway, we hope Col. Llorca can devise ways and means to avert possible
coordination problems.
I also hope the good colonel can find adequate resources to equip his boys of
good toys.
I also hope he can find a good commando vehicle, not an “ukay-ukay” variety
that’s good only for the museum or for jaywalkers.
I wonder how Rodney Lumuthang and his bankers group will react to
the “ukay-ukay” like transport system that they gave for the SWAT.
***
China is showing its displeasure over what happened to its citizens.
Two events at the moment – refusal to accept the “high-level” delegation
from the Philippines to explain the Quirino Grandstand bungling job and two,
cancellation of the upcoming visit of a Chinese Politburo member.
We wonder what China will do next.
But there is one thing to consider.
Do they really love their citizens this much?
Because what I have in mind is the Tienanmen Massacre where Chinese
officials decided to end the student demonstration by ordering a violent
dispersal that caused several deaths.
The death of 8 citizens would pale in comparison to the death of the
Chinese student demonstrators in the Tienanmen Massacre, right Roberto?
***
Who is that stupid guy who says there should be a media blackout during the
the hostage crisis?
What stupidity is that?
No media, no news, so how can we learn about the ineptness of the police?
How will we know the “vandals-like” behavior of the SWAT-Manila when they
tried to open the tourist bus?
Yes Sir, we will be missing the fun, right Roberto?
***
No, what we need is restricted media access.
The media should be cordoned off to some safe distance – to protect them
from danger and to protect the police operatives from the camera of the
media and telegraphing their movements.
They should not be allowed to roam around freely. Enough breathing space
should be given to the police operatives so they can focus of the job at hand.
But no media blackout please.
***
I received an email from a group of student leaders who have reportedly
relayed to Pnoy their demand for an accounting from national SK federation
president Jane Censoria Cajes.
Susmariosep.
Up to now, no accounting yet from Jane Censoria Cajes?
She must be impervious to widespread criticisms from her peers.
She must have grown thick-skinned even with her Belo “facials” that she
could no longer feel the pangs of shame from her peers.
What a pity!
There’s only one solution to this hullaballoo.
Liquidate and the truth shall set her free.
That way, her SK peers will know how she spent the millions of SK funds.
They will know that she did not spend it for her Belo “facials” or her so-called
Hermes bags or her so-called very expensive “dogs” or her alleged plans to
undergo European studies costing millions of pesos.
And that will also clear her name from insinuations that she has turned into an
unsavory animal called a “crook.”
***
I talked to former PCL president Boy Imboy last Friday at the People’s
Mansion.
He was there because he was a “witness” to the induction of the new
set of officials of PCL-Bohol led by Monching Torrefranca of Carmen.
I also saw Catigbian councilor Ariel Lungay.
And watching from a distance, it would seem that nothing is wrong with the
organization of councilors. But those in the know can easily detect that there
really was something wrong.
I didn’t see Boy Imboy and Ariel Lungay calling or talking to each other the
entire time they were there. It was obvious that they were avoiding each
other.
Of course we know the bone of the enmity.
Boy Imboy did not liquidate his spendings and Ariel Lungay is demanding that
he does.
And Ariel Lungay is stepping into the toes of Doris Obena who likewise made
the same demand to Boy Imboy.
Well, Monching Torrefranca said he would look into the records that would be
turned over by Boy Imboy.
So let’s wait for an update on this.
We trust Monching Torrefranca to be true to his word – shared leadership
kuno.
More when we return, stay tuned for more!
