A military official confirmed last Tuesday that Malacañang has formed a task force against the Kidnapping and drug-related crimes here and in the other parts of central Mindanao, where in most of the suspects involved are prominent people.
The new body formed was given the task of revealing and prosecuting the so called “untouchables” who were involved in the kidnapping and drug trade happening in Mindanao. This is according to Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command.
In the past three years, record shows that at least a dozen of kidnapping has been documented in the area of Central Mindanao.
Tabaquero added that the overall supervision of the new task force will be under the defense and justice departments and operational control of Mindanao-based security forces. The main purpose of the task force is to be pro active in protecting civilians and business community from kidnap, drug, and gun-for-hire syndicates.
President of the Cotabato Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yu Beng Chua expressed his disappointment because most of the arrested suspects in the kidnapping cases have been freed from jail.
During the meeting of Yu with Tabaquero and other officials involved in the task force, he said that what is happening right now, where most of convicts are freed from jail shows that there is something wrong with our judicial system, and that we cannot prosecute criminals and gave them the right punishment to their action.
According to Tabaquero all judicial proceedings involving kidnapping and high-profile cases should be held outside the city. He said that in that way we can ensure that witnesses would not be threatened or intimidated by the suspects.
While on the other hand, Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said that he is not confident of the new task force built since similar once where already made but their were no positive results coming from it.
He questioned the capability of the new task force if it can solve the kidnapping incident in the place where in it is rampant. He said that the city has now become a killing field and we still have the proliferation of illegal drugs resulting in the commission of petty crimes.
Cynthia Sayadi, City administrator agreed and said that the city’s security problem was serious.