WITH THE PREVAILING carnapping, robbery and perceived extra-judicial killings happening in the city with impunity, Mayor Samuel Co sees police augmentation as the only solution.Saying greater police number is synonymous with peace and order,
he told journalists in a recent briefing that he has forwarded a request to the PNP Regional Office and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to detail more PNP personnel in Pagadian.
However, he added that he has yet to receive the replies from both the PNP Regional Office and Napolcom.
In 2009, then PNP Regional Director and now DIPO West head C/Supt. Angel Hipolito Sunglao revealed their contingent only has a total manpower complement of 4,615 uniformed personnel and 116 non-uniformed personnel with for Regional Mobile Groups as its primary maneuver force.
May 2007 NSO data disclosed that police-to-population ration in Zamboanga Peninsula is at 1:700 but this accordingly grew to 1:1500 in 2010.
On the national scale, the PNP at present has 130,545 uniformed personnel performing duties in National Support Units, the National Headquarters and different Police Regional Offices. An average of 3,000 personnel is separated from the service every year due to attrition and retirement, the PNP said.
In a huddle, City Police Chief Superintendent Michael Palermo admitted that the city needs to augment its forces to further intensify monitoring, surveillance and operations versus criminalities.
Also, Outgoing PNP Provincial Director Senior Supt. Ramon Ochotorena acknowledged that police visibility is necessary as he said police recruitment is needed, disclosing he intends to ask the PNP Regional Office for company-size reinforcement to reach the ideal police-to-population ratio.
“But the increase in number of our policemen will not mean anything without the cooperation of the community and concerned citizens in battling various crimes in the city,” Ochotorena said.
Co commented that the PNP, which has become a “punching bag” of the residents’ criticisms over the rampant criminalities in the city, like carnapping and murder, which tied at 16 as of latest reckon, must also satisfy the need of implementing a winning anti-criminality program to boost its operational capability in law enforcement.
Palermo said he has already encouraged the barangay folk to participate in local peace and order programs as force multipliers like the CVOs, Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATs) and the 2,850 motorized cab drivers volunteering as crime reporters.
Under PNP’s 2010 Regular Recruitment Program, some 10,000 police recruits will undergo a 12-month mandatory police basic course and field training program.
Co said he is happy with this news and declared that with the appointment of C/Supt. Edwin Inventor Corvera as new PNP-9 regional director, the city will likely get the police amplification it needs.
“I’m sure ani kay kada ilis gani og PNP regional director, naa gyoy mga police madugang dinhi sa ato. Hinaot lang ubay-ubay pod ang ibutang,” the mayor concluded. – BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAGADIAN EXPRESS
