One-armed suspect not Abu leader

[FK]

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This goes to the heart of what's wrong with the government's policy toward capturing people. The policy is to grab, nab, parade and then issue press releases, with the President taking the lead as her own primary propagandist. That is not what presidents should do, and it is not what law enforcement agencies should be doing. Their job does not include producing spectacles for radio, television and the print media. Their job is to track down people wanted for crimes, and deliver them to the courts for trial. There is still the presumption of innocence. Parading people in front of the media is not only a case of conviction by publicity, it's a habit that discredits law enforcement agencies when they make mistakes.

We would have thought that a President who has a fetish for attacking the media for always finding fault with her, and who has strongly condemned her critics for prejudging her, would consider it a matter of principle to ensure that no one, regardless of the crime of which they're accused, suffers the same indignities she claims to be subjected to. It would seem elementary that a President who complains she's been tried by publicity would herself prevent similar trials by publicity. Obviously, she has not made the connection between her political woes and those experienced by people rounded up by cops for missing an arm-even if it's the wrong arm.

As the title of this editorial says... "Haste indeed makes humiliation"

[s.n.m.p.]

Appearing on the government TV station, Arroyo said, "Gusto kong batiin ang ating mga pulis at ang ating mga sundalo dahil kaninang 4:30 (p.m.) nahuli nila ang napaka-notorious na Abu Sayyaf leader, si Radullan Sahiron na may premyo na P5 million sa kanyang ulo.

"Itong intelligence report na ito ay napakatagal na, panahon pa ni Secretary (Eduardo) Ermita noong siya ay secretary of national defense at ngayon ay nahuli siya. Salamat at congratulations sa pangkat na pinamumunuan ni Police Col. Boogie Mendoza. Congratulations and more power to you."

That’s the problem with concentrating on form rather than substance. Arroyo probably thinks that with Kashiwahara’s coaching on proper inflection, expert make-up, and right color for her outfit, she’ll solve her problem of lack of credibility which stems from lack of electoral mandate. That’s her idea of governance. Well, she is making a fool of herself.

Why Arroyo takes it upon herself to make the announcements of reports that should have been done by subordinates. Captures of criminals should be announced by police officers?

Again, we go back to her perverted sense of governance. It used to be that she thought she has solved the problem of criminality by having her picture taken with criminal suspects in Malacañang. Now, she goes on TV with raw information on any issue.

I have the feeling that with her preoccupation for survival, there’s nothing more she can tell the public. She is desperate and pathetic.