The problem with task forces

Executive Order 759, which Gloria Arroyo signed on October 23, said it is important to create such a task force as the problem of illegal recruitment is serious, persistent and "has already reached alarming proportion as to cause public concern."

"It is of critical importance that the State safeguards public interest and protect the Filipino worker form losing their hard-earned money and property to unscrupulous recruiters and syndicates, and save the government from incurring expenses due to repatriation of victims of illegal recruitment," the EO said.

Wasn’t it not so long ago, a similar task force was created for then same purpose, with the National Bureau of Investigation as the lead agency? At the start, the task force was zealous in raiding offices of suspected illegal recruitment agencies and arresting their operators. Not much later, the task force lost its enthusiasm and turned selective, targeting recruitment agencies which did not come across. The head and some members of the task force, if memory serves, were charged with extortion and kidnapping.

More recently, a presidential anti-smuggling task force was formed to run after smugglers due to perceived corruption in the customs bureau. With much fanfare, operatives of the task force raided car dealers suspected of selling hot vehicles, warehouses full of imported foodstuff, including rice and retail outlets of household items suspected to have come in from China without having paid duties.

Now, it is being accused by harassment by an independent oil importer-retailer. The oil company has been cleared by the customs bureau, but this assurance of regularity in its shipments cuts no ice with the task force.

This task force business grew out of military operations. Disparate units were thrown together to undertake specific missions. After the jobs were completed, the task forces were disbanded and the component units went back to their previous assignments.

In this country, task forces take on a semi-permanent character, to be disbanded only it when becomes embroiled in scandalous operations, which is the usual progression in the life cycle of such ad hoc bodies.

Agencies should be held responsible for enforcing the law within their area of jurisdiction. If a particular agency cannot hack it, then its leadership should be changed. That’s elementary management. Why this is not done, we have no idea. It probably has to do with spreading the loot around.