By Lito Rulona
COUNCILOR Juan Sia is at it again. This time, he wants the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the police to “ban bombs” the way they have been enforcing the gun ban since the Jan. 13 start of the election period.
Sia called for the “bomb ban” during the city council session yesterday as his reaction to a report about how the police have started the gun ban campaign and Monday’s bombing in neighboring Iligan City.
Councilor Roger Abaday told The Gold Star Daily he nearly fell from his sit when Sia suggested that there should be a “bomb ban.” He did not elaborate.
“The gun ban of the Commission on Election is good but they are only focused on guns. Why not include bombs [in the ban],” said Sia as he expressed his wish to author a “bomb ban” resolution.
Sia said bombs were excluded in the prohibition. “When bombs explode, several people would get hurt and killed.”
Sia is known for going public with his unconventional ideas. Early last year, he told the city council he did not believe that logging factored in the December 2011 “Sendong” devastation in the city. His reason: depictions of the Great Flood story in the Bible showed there were “many trees during Noah’s time.”
Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, chair of the city council’s committee on police, fire and public safety, said what Sia meant with his “bomb ban” suggestion was that the law should be specific. Unless specified, he said, there would be room for different interpretations.
Councilor Ramon Tabor, meanwhile, asked the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) and the Comelec to really go strict in enforcing the gun ban and step up checkpoint inspections in the city.
But Tabor said law enforcers must adhere to the guidelines and make sure citizens are properly informed about the checkpoints.
“Policemen manning the checkpoints should be in full uniform with name tags. The checkpoint should be very visible and well-lighted,” he said.