EDITORIAL

“Why should I risk my life and limb for a job that does not even guarantee security for my family when I am gone? Why should I give everything for a job that cannot even feed my family well?”

These were the answers we got from a local policeman when we asked his opinion about the common observation that policemen are not doing their jobs well, and in most cases, are even guilty of abuses such as ‘tong’ collection.

We cannot entirely blame the policemen. To date, they receive the lowest starting pay among all government personnel. Their take home pay is not commensurate to the service required of them, and the risk that goes along. Something must be done to allevaiate their predicament so that in return, they too will not hesitate to serve the people better.

It has been noted that the main reason why many of our policemen engage in unfavorable practices is the meager income they have. Therefore, thrusts by the government to give them better pay and more benefits will help eradicate these malpractices, and they (policemen) will reciprocally exert their all-out effort in protecting the community.