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The decision of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to ?rehabilitate? the remaining 17 out of 48 enforcers suspected of misdeeds is a practical one, but should be implemented with much care and deliberation by the next administration.
Citom chief Arnel Tancinco said the enforcers are ?still worth saving.?
But if the investigation finds they did commit extortion, can they still be reformed and expected to stay out of monkey business?
The reason for giving them a generous benefit of the doubt stems from time pressure, due to the incoming election ban on new hiring. With a depleted lineup, Citom needs every man available on the streets before and after the elections.
In retraining these enforcers, Tancinco said an indoctrination program of sorts would be done.
Perhaps Tancinco meant a reorientation of values and mindsets. If so, the lessons should come at the beginning of work by new recruits.
To try to teach full grown men that mulcting jeepney dispatchers is wrong -- after they?ve been caught doing it -- seems a redundant exercise.
The only effective response is to cut them off from the system as quickly as possible to avoid infecting the remaining members of Citom with a wishy-washy sense of justice.
Strong medicine is needed to restore sanity in a traffic watchdog system, that has lost credibilty among motorists with each unreported case of ?tong?, unenforced parking rules, arbitrary towing or clamping in Cebu City.
That dose comes in the form of decisive disciplinary action.
Perhaps it?s also time for city officials to revist how they select, recruit and train Citom enforcers. That?s the correct time to go heavy on positive indoctrination.
Bad eggs in the basket don?t transform into shining examples of professinoalism overnight.
Not even a summer of seminars could do that.
