Jullie Y. Daza
The rule is to either avoid them or seek them out, they whose sworn duty is to “serve and protect.” Not a very original slogan, but as a former patrolman who became Mayor Fred Lim used to say, whatever you think of cops, whenever you need them they’re there for you.
These days cops, the good, the bad and the lookers, are here, there, everywhere to enforce the laws against COVID-19. For lack of a civilian explanation, they were deployed at the start of ECQ in 2020 in armored personnel carriers (they look like tanks) to either scare the people into complying with “minimum health protocols” or to send the message loud and clear to troublemakers. As it turns out, many such troublemakers were/are policemen, in uniform or not.
Jullie Y. Daza
Once upon a time in a section of the ancient city there lived the most famous fashion designers. Around Remedios Circle, on its fringes or blocks away from one another, they toiled with their cotton, taffeta, lace, and tulle, and nobody bothered to ask why Malate was The Place. Why, even Myther the Tailor, the self-named “Duke of Adriatico,” was drawn to that sweet spot.
At one point, Mayor Fred Lim was taunted by busybodies in media to declare Malate a “fashion zone” to honor Filipino couturiers, the ones who had tickled the imaginations of Imelda Marcos’ titled friends and the occasional visitor from New York, London, Rome, whether model, socialite, or photographer.