PNP clamps down on crime statistics

POLICE on Thursday refused to release the latest statistics one day after admitting a surge in crime while the Palace turned down calls to fire Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II for their failure to keep the peace.

Chief Supt. Francisco Don Montenegro of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, which is responsible for collating incidents of crime, turned down requests for data Thursday, as did Purisma.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III continued to have faith in Roxas and Purisima, whom he had summoned to the Palace earlier this week over the surge in violent crimes.

Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption founding chairman Dante Jimenez earlier wrote the President asking him to relieve Roxas and Purisima over their inability to address the growing number of crimes.

In a command conference earlier this week, Purisima formed a new major crimes unit to solve murder and homicide cases, and ordered an increase in police checkpoints.

The command conference, which included Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, only highlighted crimes in Quezon City, which reported a decline in incidents to 113 incidents in June, from 993 in May.

QCPD Chief Supt Richard Alvano said the decline was the result of “pro-active security measures.”

In 2013, 14 regions reported a total of 1,033,833 crimes. Metro Manila accounted for a large chunk or 240,644 incidents, followed by Western Visayas (153,236); Central Visayas (120,095); Davao region (90,152); Central Luzon (77,096); and Calabarzon (58,145).

There were 11,326 incidents of car theft, 146,563 incidents of theft, 52,528 robberies, 9,072 murders, 7,409 rapes, 6,409 cases of homicide, 221 incidents of physical injury, and 133,605 violations of other laws.

In recent weeks, Metro Manila has seen several high-profile cases, including the Independence Day killing of Davao hotelier Richard King, who was killed in his office while having his dinner, and race car driver Enzo Ferdinand Pastor.

Last month, Urbiztondo Mayor Ernesto Balolong, was slain while inspecting the preparations for his son’s wedding and his own 25th anniversary wedding rites.

Aside from the surge in crime, the PNP must also deal with the controversy over 1,000 missing AK-47 rifles and the Atimoan massacre, as well as a plunder complaint filed against Purisima over alleged overpricing in a contract with a private courier service.

Police officials also came under fire when the officer who oversaw the arrest of a high-profile fugitive, Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, was reassigned.

Prospective gun owners have also complained that the stricter firearms requirements hurt legitimate buyers but did nothing to take guns out of the hands of criminals.

Purisima shrugged off calls for him to resign and said he would stay in office until his retirement, and find a way to stem the rise in criminality.

However, a former top police official, Ramon Montano, said that Purisima and his top officials should resign for failing to fulfill their mandated task of serving and protecting the people.

“They are good only in posturing,” Montano said.

Montano also criticized policemen for laxity, saying their presence on the streets was only for show.

“During my time, if you failed to perform… you were assured of immediate relief and subsequent removal from the roster,” Montano said.

He also said the PNP has no justifiable excuse for not doing its job.

Earlier, it was reported that the PNP failed to serve some 140,000 warrants of arrest.

“If these criminals remain out in the streets chances they will still commit crimes,” Montano added.

On Monday, Coloma said the government was committed to stemming “the tide of criminality.”

“We note, for instance, that the Quezon City Police Department has established mobile police desks in strategic points, operating on a 24-hour basis to monitor the peace and order situation and provide ready access for citizen assistance. In Pangasinan, the PNP created a task force to oversee anti-criminality operations and neutralize guns-for-hire,” he said.

Purisima also ordered the hastening of the processing of applications to fill up 18,568 vacancies for police officer and 13,000 positions for non-uniformed personnel.

“With a current strength of 148,000, the police officer to population ratio is one for every 675 citizens. With the hiring of additional police officers, this ratio will improve to one police officer for every 579 citizens,” Coloma added. –Francisco Tuyay, Joyce P. Pañares, Manila Standard Today