D.P.A. (Straight from the camp)
By Francisco B. Lindero, Jr.

Malingeritis

The most awaited GMA bonus for police officers came Tuesday this week. To the shock of everyone, the expected Three Thousand Pesos (P3,000.00) did not materialize. Guess what they got? Well, better than “sukli”… a “better-than-nothing” Six Hundred Pesos (P600.00)!!! Expectedly, this raises a question, “Where did the P2,400.00 go?” Will it be released on installment basis? Whatever it is, this is no time to speculate. This is the moment you come to your senses!

When the PNP earned millions (as alleged) in the first three months of Gen. Aglipay's stint, it has also incurred deficits (inferred logically) after the next three months! Thus, if you were told (to believe) that the P2,400.00, a.k.a Medical Assistance, received last December was a wholesome dividend in the said savings, you have no reason to feel unfortunate for having a P600.00 share despite the losses (it's still earning, in fact)! See what happened to public school teachers. They received nothing last December. Now, they got it whole!

Truly, life is a roller coaster, - sometimes you are up and at the other time you are down! But, the next time around, don't expect too much or don't get fooled by wishful thinking! Most of the times, we just don't get what we want (others took it instead)!!!

Oops! Wait… we are not on malingeritis yet. Our topic is more vital than financial matters! Financial problem is merely a symptom of a rotting psychological state of individual.

Malingeritis is not uncommon jargon in a police language. The word is so coined to describe a practice. Strategy. Tactics. Years back malingeritis was not tolerated in the male dominated organization. But, with all the pampering… media intervention and sensationalized touch on issue involving the training of police recruits, what was once a mere tendency becomes the epidemic creeping in the system of the new breed of police officers. No diagnostic test is needed to establish the existence of this phenomenon. But, certainly, a particular kind of “virus” or “bacterium” causes an outbreak of a malignant disease affecting several neophyte police members. In fact, it has reached an alarming level when the affected police officers, 18 of them, were exposed in the new environment at 601st Mobile Company of 6th Regional Mobile Group (RMG) based in Manapla, Negros Occidental.

The factors causing the outbreak were, namely: environment, culture, norms and doctrines. The untimely exposure to these elements triggered the dormant cancer cells in the psyche to react and affects tremendously the will. It weakens the stamina. It disturbs the focus, and spoils the conviction! So, it goes the story of the “crying babies”!!!

Obviously, malingeritis has reflected the denotation of its root word, malinger. As defined by Mr Webster, malinger means to feign illness to avoid the performance of duty. To view the issue of hazing being practiced at 6th RMG within the context of this definition, I would only appear unreasonable and illogical. The bruised thighs and other pains suffered by victims are indisputable pieces of evidence of the seemingly unkind treatment accorded to them. They were not feigning illness. They did suffer. Battered. Beaten. Smashed.

Nevertheless, I don't believe those were reasons enough to betray the time-honored, unwritten traditions of the “The Few, The Proud and The Brave.” Rather, their coming out of the open was a subtle manifestation of a dying culture, if not ushering the new era of malingeritis-afflicted individuals!!!

This is the fact of life: Not all that appears is real. As the Little Prince puts it, “what is essential is invisible to the naked eye!”

For comments, e-mail me at rogatepnp@yahoo.com or text SMS to 09193161190.