Failure of intel in Marawi

Intelligence reports say most of the killings that were not done through official police operations were perpetrated by rogue policemen masquerading as vigilantes.

These rogue cops, who are involved in drug trafficking, kill pushers who don’t remit to them earnings from the illegal trade, according to the reports.

Most of them use motorcycles in drive-by shootings.

The tricycle driver, who was killed in Pasay City last year and whose death was portrayed a la Pieta by bleeding hearts, was a pusher who was killed by either rival pushers or “ninja cops” (policemen who “recycle” confiscated drugs using street hoods as pushers).

There’s one of two reasons why a ninja cop kills his ward: the latter didn’t remit proceeds of a drug sale, or he should be silenced because he knew too much.

In most cases, it’s about making sure that “dead men tell no tales.”

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Manila RTC Judge Daniel Villanueva, who granted bail to Senior Insp. Magdaleno Pimentel Jr. and Insp. Markson Almeranez, should be investigated by the Supreme Court.

Pimentel and Almeranez were caught by fellow policemen who pursued them after they shot dead Zenaida Luz, a crime crusader in Mindoro Oriental last year.

Granting bail to a person charged with a heinous crime like murder presupposes weak evidence against the accused.

But how could there be lack of evidence against Pimentel and Almeranez when they were caught by policemen with whom they traded shots?

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US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is all praises for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) wresting control of Marawi City from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists.

“It was a tough fight. The Philippine military has sent a necessary message to the terrorists,” Mattis said.

Should the AFP be praised for defeating the terrorists after months of laying siege to Marawi?

Or, should it be blamed for its failure to detect the massing of armed men and movement of weapons into Marawi?

Had military intelligence been vigilant, the terrorists could have been prevented from establishing a strong base in the Islamic city.

What’s wrong with our military is that it is reactive instead of proactive.

Clearly, the AFP should be blamed for not being proactive.

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I remember my uncle, then Brig. Gen. Alex Aguirre, who was chief of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary’s Capital Region Command (now the National Capital Region Police Office), presiding over a meeting of the different police district chiefs in Metro Manila.

All the district commanders reported high crime solutions, except for the commander of the Eastern Police District.

The Eastern District chief said morosely that he had a low percentage of crime solution.

Instead of berating him, Aguirre praised the commander, saying there was low crime solution in his area because there were few crimes committed.

“In other words, your men prevented crimes from happening,” he said.