This was the bounty offered this week by Jonvic Remulla, Interior secretary. After conflicting pronouncements of what the government (well, his department) was doing (or not doing) about Dela Rosa’s continued absence from civil society, Remulla’s latest brainwave triggered conflicting reactions.
Some expressed puzzlement. Does this mean that the government doesn’t have enough resources, men, equipment, tanks, planes, and guns to cuff him themselves?
Or does this mean some internal resistance from the police, who used to be led by Dela Rosa? Is Remulla not able to identify loyal men within the police corps who would die for him? Or does he not have the wherewithal to command these police officers? Not enough leadership skills? Is he afraid of a mutiny amongst his men?
That would be the unkind interpretation. Perhaps he already ran a logistics study about how to implement the arrest, studied the terrain, crunched numbers and stats, and come to a neat report submitted to the president’s that he’s unable to effect the arrest himself. Pat on the head for the good boy?
Other naysayers expressed relief. Finally, Remulla has admitted he’s in above his head, and now realizes he needs private citizens to do his job for him. Hopefully, the million dollars is enough to persuade people to devise their own strategy to rope in the fugitive senator. Correction: Given current exchange rates of this mismanaged economy, the ?50 million is no longer worth $1 million. Try three quarters by end of the year.
But what am I talking about. Didn’t Remulla just say something last week about Dela Rosa being armed and dangerous? Some media talking point about how arresting Bato might cause a bloodbath? Well, thanks for priming the citizenry that way, Remulla. Now they might not necessarily bite the million-dollar carrot you just offered given how dramatically you’ve prejudiced our minds.
Next time, before offering a measly reward, color our thinking first by putting out press releases about how Bato is now a softie, that he’s diminished, that no one supports him anymore. Condition us with some bull about how his fangs have been pulled. That way, foolhardy citizens can be enticed to taking the risk. Then, just follow the blood! The failed attempts at arresting him will surely attract your attention. With bodies left and right, you can just follow the trail and make the arrest yourself. How’s that for strategy? And you can even keep the fifty mil. Promise.
Remulla tells us the senator is hiding in Mindanao. What then is he trying to accomplish with this reward? Does he think the Mindanaons aren’t solid enough to come together and shield Dela Rosa? Does he think someone desperate enough or poor enough in that island will salivate at the reward, and betray the senator? Does he think that backstabbers and traitors are amongst the senator’s coterie? Could he be right on this one?
Prof. Teddy Te had called for Remulla to be fired over his many missteps. Remulla admitted to making a mistake by thinking that a gentlemen’s agreement reached with rattled senators that he could come back to the Senate building and arrest Bato the next day would be binding. How about the mistake of not cutting off all the escape routes? How about the mistake of not inspecting the departing vehicles rigorously? How about the mistake of going home that night instead of personally staking out the premises?
But firing Remulla might just lead to more delays in arresting Bato and handing him over to the International Criminal Court so he can stand trial with Rodrigo Duterte. By the way, where is Senator Bong Go?
Perhaps, it would be a better option if we wait for whoever arrests Dela Rosa to be successful, sit pretty while he or she hauls him in, and when the fifty mil cash is handed over to the bounty hunter, use that moment to simultaneously fire Jonvic, strip him of the title of Interior Secretary, and drape that title on the shoulders of the bounty hunter. What a fantastic reward!
Better incentive to finally get Bato? That person would have earned the role, for sure.
Come on bounty hunters! Do you want to be the next Interior secretary? This would be the chance to head the police! To make arrests left and right! To rid the force of bad apples, and collar all those corrupt politicians! To make a difference!
Call this an audition.