Enrile out, Poe shoots up

Now it can be told that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile resigned from his position in the Senate as  the Liberal Party coalition is now the majority in the Upper House. I think Enrile did the honorable thing and didn’t give his detractors the opportunity to force him to step down.
Before JPE stepped down he delivered a privilege speech blaming himself for the defeat of his son Jack in the Senate race and attacked his critics  in the Senate.
The past of the young Enrile haunted him in the last election and caused his defeat.  Jack Enrile was suspected of killing a number of people like the actor Alfie Anido and a student during his younger days.
His father  Juan Ponce Enrile will be remembered by  how well he handled the impeachment of  Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.
But that didn’t help  his son Jack get elected. Jack Enrile’s support for the controversial RH bill which he voted for also affected his chances.  Grace Poe unexpectedly got the highest number of votes in the Senate race beating   veteran re-electionists like Senator Loren legarda and Chiz Escudero.
I think their respective stands on the RH bill affected their ranking in the Senate race. Legarda  supported and voted for the RH bill while Chiz Escudero was also affected by the well publicized rift  between his girlfriend Heart Evangelista and her parents over their relationship.
From the viewpoint of many, Grace Poe became number one because she carried the name of the legendary Fernando Poe Jr. who many believe won the presidency against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Grace Poe is a very humble person and very respectful unlike some senators who want to be treated like VIPs.
Grace Poe projectd honesty and sincerity . so it’s no  surprise that this lady may be a   hot prospect for a seat in the 2016 Presidential election. I heard that Secretary Mar Roxas, the  front runner in the presidential race, is considered by Preisdent Aquino as not winnable against Vice President Binay.
But many things can change in politics as  Roxas prepares for the 2016 presidential election.
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Last Thursday I was anchoring the CCTN TV program “Hello Cebu, Maayong Buntag Pinoy” when I learned about the  Citom traffic enforcer who was gunned down while manning  traffic in Banilad Road.
It was ironic that no policeman was in the area when the incident happened. Where were the police? If a policeman was around, his presence may have  deterred the malefactor from his evil intent.
I heard that Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama  had wanted  a buddy system for  traffic enforcer to ensure that each one would be on duty with a companion. But this idea remained just a proposal.
A former classmate of mine who just came from New York said policemen should be more visible to deter crime incidents in the streets.
Unfortunately this isn’t happening here in Cebu City for the same longstanding reason — lack of personnel. This should be  addressed by the police hierarchy as an important component in keeping peace and order.
Now that Mayor  Rama has a new mandate  the  Department of Interior and Local Government should offer for his choosing a city police chief that he would trust. Peace and order  should be given high priority by the administration since this is key in  attracting investors and tourists.
In Cebu City, police already know the crime-prone areas. I hope they do something to turn them around.