Editorial: Solving Marawi’s peace and order problem

“If it is a problem there can be a solution; if it cannot be solved then it is not a problem, it is reality,” so an adage says.

PSSupt Siegfred Ramos , Lanao del Sur PNP Provincial Director, thinks that the peace and order situation is a problem that can be solved. It is not reality.

After all, by nature the Maranaos are peace-loving. It is only because of a very clannish culture that sometimes peace and order is disturbed by clan feuds, locally called “Rido.” Yet, City Mayor Pre Salic has a vision for minimizing if not totally eradicating Rido.

And probably the Provincial Governor is also in accord with the idea. Fortunately, the younger generations have realized the damage it has done to Ranao society. They too want Rido stopped. This matter will take a paradigm shift among the people.

Of course, the influx of prohibited drugs in Marawi and some municipalities has brought in a new dimension in the preservation of peace and order.

In fact, this is a more complex one because persons under the influence of prohibited drugs tend to disobey parents, traditional leaders and even law enforcers.

And the police provincial director has laudable measures in mind on how to solve the problem.

But no matter how laudable it could be, without the support of multi-sector groups, particularly the local government chief executives, especially in the barangay level, it will not work.

In the meantime, this paper believes that the measures proposed by the Provincial PNP Director will work if done seriously. And these will certainly materialize if supported by the policy makers without diluting healthy ideas with partisan political considerations. thenewranaostar