Page 8 - The PH Source Vol 4 No 2 - Pascual

only city in region iii that has been During their house visits, the mayor according to him, an effective
cleared of any traces of illegal drugs patiently explained the Duterte admin- leader need not have a degree from
by both the Philippine Drug Enforce- istration’s policy on illegal drugs. the country’s top universities.
ment agency and that Philippine Pascual believes even hardened “all it takes is a heart. You should
national Police. criminals should be given the chance know where the people around you
Moreover, Gapan also boasts of to reform and as such should not are coming from. Dapat alam natin
being the only locality where not one end up as numerical markers in the ang pakiramdam ng mga taong nasa
drug suspect was killed in the midst casualties of the administration’s war paligid natin. ilagay natin ang ating
of the Duterte administration’s war against illegal drugs. mga sarili sa kanilang sitwasyon and
against illegal drugs. in trying to save them, Mayor from there you’d know why they’re
Mayor Emeng said that even be- Emeng gave them two choices – to acting that way.”
fore President rodrigo Duterte could surrender or to face the possibility He added that government
commence his drug war, the local of meeting the same fate with that of officials should realize that they are
government took the initiative to go thousands of others who were killed public servants and as such should
house to house and talk to individu- in various anti-illegal drug operations. not consider themselves as the boss.
als whose names form part of the list Surprisingly, his strategy worked as taking cue from the two words –
provided by their barangay units. not one drug suspect from his city was “public“ and “service,” Mayor Emeng
killed in the government’s drug war. enjoined fellow government officials
“Yun nga lang, lahat sila naka- to serve the public, from whom
kulong. But still being behind bars government funds come from in the
is better than being killed. Soon form of taxes they pay.
enough, they’ll be set free and re-in- “Walang taong gustong manghingi
tegrated in our society. By then, they ng tulong kasi nakakapanliit pero
would all have been reformed men.” may mga pagkakataong nao-
obliga sila dahil sa kaniolang
Emeng’s Trade Secret kinasasadlakang kahirapan. at any
in his parting shot, Mayor Emeng rate, there is no reason for them to
readily shared the secret behind his be beholden every time they ask for
effective leadership. help from the government.” n

54 The Philippine Source |January – March 2021