Crime

This afternoon, we would be convening the Provincial Peace and Order Council for a meeting. The last time we met with the Council was just after the bombing and attempt on the life of Governor. It is quite ironic that the said meeting was called by the Governor since he was already alarmed then about the prevailing crime situation in Batangas. He didn’t know that he would not be able to preside over the meeting because by then he would be in a hospital bed recuperating from the second degree burns he suffered.

We were focusing then on our efforts to prevent criminal syndicates from proliferating in our industrial zone.  We do not want that the gains we have made in our efforts to achieve growth through investments promotion would just go down the drain because of criminality.

Crime is evil; we should never ever allow it to persist in society. It demeans the self and is a blot to decency. For us in Government, it is an affront and a challenge to the authority vested in us by the people.

The government’s drive against criminal syndicates nearly cost the Governor’s life. Likewise, it has placed many lives in danger and peril, a very fearful reality for those in government service. If one would succumb though to fear then crime would have its heyday.  This we could never allow.

We would be starting the meeting with a prayer, a prayer for peace, a prayer for hope. Peace for Batangas and hope that criminality would not hold sway over the lives of our beloved  Batanguenos.