Blanco says crime rate down
PEACE AND ORDER REPORT
LINGAYEN—It’s still peaceful out here.
This was the essence of the report of Senior Supt. Sterling Raymund Blanco, officer-in-charge at the police provincial office (PPO), when he reported before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last June 2.
From January to May this year, 8, 054 crimes were reported around the province, down by 1,087 from the same period last year
Of the total number, 3,952 were logged in under index crimes or hideous crimes committed against persons (2, 630) and properties (1, 314), while the other 4,102 were non- index crimes or non-physical confrontation such as violation of special laws (1, 097) and other non- index crimes (3,005).
“Generally peaceful ang Pangasinan. Hindi naman pupunta ang mga investors dito kung nakakatakot ang ating lugar,” remarked Blanco after his presentation on the province’s present peace and order situation, citing glowing reports of the local office of the Department of Trade.
Blanco was invited by the provincial council to provide information on the peace and order situation in Pangasinan following reports of an increasing crime rate, particularly shooting incidents.
The police chief confirmed that shooting and robbery incidents increased during the period in review and he admitted that motorcycle-riding criminals (MRCs) remain a major concern of the PPO.
A total of 106 shooting incidents were recorded in the past five months, 35 of which were perpetrated by MRCs and 71 invovled individuals who figured in shooting incidents. Of these incidents, 55 were solved and 51 are under investigation, Blanco said.
On robbery incidents, 94 cases were recorded, higher by 40 compared to the first five months of 2013. About 27 cases have been solved.
LOOSE FIREARMS
In the campaign against loose firearms, Blanco reported that a total of 66 positive operations were launched which resulted in the arrest of 76 persons and the confiscation of 73 assorted firearms and ammunition with 48 cases filed in court.
Some 455 wanted persons were also arrested, including the nine in the most wanted personalities list, with two in the provincial level, one in a city and another six in the municipal level. The suspects face either murder or rape cases.
The PPO claimed success in its campaign against illegal drugs with 213 pushers and users nabbed and 471.417 grams of shabu and 980.543 grams of dried marijuana leaves seized with a total estimated value of more than P3.1 million based on Dangerous Drugs Board calculations. About 205 cases were filed in court.
Blanco’s report was based on data gathered from the police and barangay blotters and from the reports of reinforcement agencies in line with the new blotter system implemented by the Philippine National Police dubbed as “Serbisyong Makatotohanan”.
He gave an assurance that the PPO is in a proactive mode to deter crime in the province through nationalization of patrol 101 program, sustained motorized anti-street crime operation, conduct of regular checkpoints and “Oplan Sita”, deployment of policemen in barangays, among others.
He also rcommended the passage of an ordinance requiring business establishment owners to install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras even as he appealed to the members of the media to verify their data before airing or publishing reports to avoid negative impressions that Pangasinan’s peace and order situation has worsened.
Blanco noted that despite limited human and logistical resources, the Pangasinan PPO bested other PPOs during the Initiation Stage of the Performance Governance System conducted by the Center for Police Strategy Management Unit on March 4, 2014 in Camp Crame and was conferred by the same unit with the First Silver Eagle Award last May 27.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) led by its presiding officer, Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim Jr., lauded the police for a job well done in maintaining peace and order in Pangasinan.
Nonetheless, SP member Alfonso Bince Jr., who authored the resolution inviting Blanco to report before the council, said, “We can never be satisfied as long as the (peace and order) situation is concerned.”—Reports from Tita Roces, Hilda M. Austria, Johanne R. Macob and PIO.
11 GUN-FOR-HIRE GROUPS NEUTRALIZED
LINGAYEN–Eleven guns-for-hire groups responsible for various crimes in various towns of the province were neutralized by the police in the first five months this year.
P/Sr. Supt. Sterling Raymund Blanco, officer-in-charge of the Police Provincial Office (PPO), said these groups were responsible not only for shooting incidents but also robbery-holdup and illegal drug trading.
Some of the neutralized suspected guns-for-hire are not from Pangasinan.
From January to May, the police recorded 35 shooting incidents perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals while 71 others were plain shooting incidents.
Blanco said the motorcycle-riding criminals are now in check after he organized the race trackers team in each district.
There is now a dedicated team, whose members are investigators from various police units, in each district that will go after motorcycle-riding criminals.–LVM
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