Smorgasboard
Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
 

VACATION is over. Students will be trooping back to school this week.  Aside from daily budgets, parents will be very concerned about the safety of their children while out of the house.  
           
This column would like to share some of the pointers or reminders given by Dagupan City’s Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) chief Robert Erfe-Mejia during the City Peace and Order Council Meeting held recently at the City Museum.
           
They are very easy to understand. “Awatable”, as a corrupted Ilocano term would put it.
           

“Avoid being victimized.  Protect yourself and the others.”  This, I think, was the title of Mr. Erfe-Mejia’s power point presentation (thanks to S.Y for the notes).

* Always have a yellow code mindset. Meaning, when walking, know or be aware of the people infront of you, behind you and beside you.
* Don’t ride in a tricycle that has no city issued sticker (for easier identification, in case of a problem). Ignore colorum tricycles.
* Don’t ride in an almost-empty public transport vehicle.
* Memorize vehicle description and LTO license plate number
* Avoid suspicious and ‘friendly’ looking persons or people in the streets
* Avoid darkly lit areas
* Avoid stalkers; If you are up against one, report it immediately to the nearest law enforcer
* Save POSO and police station or sub-station telephone numbers
* Don’t be a willing victim. Avoid wearing jewelries
* Don’t use your cellphone while walking along sidewalks or inside public utility vehicles
* Boarding house and dormitory owners should require data base about their boarders. 
 
*****

Supt. Edgar O. Basbas, Dagupan City police chief, said the police and the POSO are ready. 
The Police Beat teams were increased to cover bigger area.  Five of the newly assigned policewomen in Dagupan City PNP were assigned in the Police Beat
           
If you see two policemen walking in tandem (buddy-buddy system) within the city proper during daytime, they are the policemen assigned to the Police Beat.
           
As Police Provincial Director Alan L. Purisima and Col. Basbas love to reiterate to their men, what is needed is not police visibility but police presence.
           
That means alert policemen out there, ready to react in case of emergency. 
           
*****
 
One of the concerns of school administrators in Dagupan City is violence caused by fraternity wars. This merits special attention really with the growing number of fraternities and the increasing number of students whose future are placed at a disadvantage because of wrong associations.
           
There are fraternities whose objective is to foster brotherhood and personality enhancement of members.

But the sad fact is, there are also pseudo fraternities whose ulterior motive is to lord it out inside and outside the school campuses.  They sow fear through threats and violence, the leaders manipulating their members to become what they want them to be, a changed person and somebody whose mere presence brings shiver and fright.

Having nephews who are also going back to school, I too fervently pray to God Jehovah that He protect them from harm. That, despite their young mind, they will have wisdom to do what is right.