THE ICE CREAM VENDOR AND THE ARROGANCE OF POWER 

Many of our so-called leaders today feel that since they are in power, they could do anything with impunity. 

This is what I call “arrogance of the powerful.” 

In the town of Banisilan last week where I met with leaders in the barangays, I was totally shocked to hear the story of an incident where the top official of North Cotabato ordered a policeman to arrest an ice cream vendor because he was ringing his bell while she was speaking. 

I simply could not believe that she would do that to a poor ice cream vendor who was just trying to earn a living. 

Indeed, the sound of the bell may have been distracting but she could have handled that situation well by paying for the ice cream to be given away for free to people present. 

What’s P300 to a rich woman like her. That would have endeared her to the crowd. 

But looking back, I am no longer surprised at this callousness. 

Back when I was Governor and she was congresswoman, she angrily asked the PNP provincial director to relieve the policeman guarding the gate leading to the PNP headquarters and reassigned to Carmen to punish him. 

The policeman’s fault? He stopped the Congresswoman’s vehicle at the gate to check it. 

I told then Provincial Director Col. Boy Agdeppa not to touch the policeman as he was just doing his job. 

How many more of our leaders in the country today are so drunk with power?

Source: Manny Piñol