Editorial - Failure Of Law Enforcement

The most troubling picture that is emerging following the raid on a
shabu tiangge or flea market in Pasig is that it was not an isolated
operation. The circumstances that allowed a shantytown to operate as
one big drug den in the heart of a bustling city are not unique to
Pasig. Surely there are other places in this country where entire
communities have learned to manufacture their own shabu and set up
one-stop shops for drug dealers and their customers.

Anti-narcotics agents from Camp Crame are said to be hunting down at
least three Pasig policemen and three barangay officials, including
the barangay captain, in connection with the shabu tiangge.
Unidentified City Hall officials are also likely to be questioned,
investigators said. Several Pasig cops with jurisdiction over the
Mapayapa compound have been sacked. Yesterday the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency also relieved its team with jurisdiction over Pasig.

Authorities should not stop at the relief of these people. Law
enforcers and other public officials who break the law or coddle
lawbreakers deserve the harshest punishment. Crime cannot flourish if
law enforcers are doing their jobs. All indications point to an
appalling failure of law enforcement in Pasig.

Yesterday a police officer attributed the long existence of the shabu
tiangge to a failure of intelligence. That is bad enough, but there
has to be more to this case than plain ineptness or sleeping on the
job. Reports said the three wanted cops were often seen inside the
compound. The three barangay officials, now missing, were apparently
also fully aware of activities in the shantytown. Why did they do
nothing about a criminal activity that can warrant capital punishment?

Shabu use has been linked to violent crimes including rape and
homicide. Apart from this, shabu dealers often prey on the young, and
kicking the habit can become a lifetime struggle. Foreigners may call
shabu poor man's cocaine, but the drug is still too expensive for many
Filipinos. Young, jobless shabu users often turn to robbery to sustain
their habit.

The government cannot afford to slacken in its crackdown on drug
trafficking. In Pasig, however, the campaign not only slackened but
ground to a halt as certain public officials apparently dipped their
fingers into the lucrative drug trade.