More police chiefs face ax for underreporting crime

MANILA, Philippines - More chiefs of police in the regions of Ilocos, Central Luzon and Bicol are set to be relieved from their posts for allegedly underreporting crime incidents to conceal the actual peace and order situation in their jurisdictions.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima has ordered an audit of police blotters nationwide to determine the real peace and order situation in the country and to improve on it.

Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief, said the national headquarters is finalizing the report on the three regional police offices.

“The PNP chief ordered the audit of police blotters shortly after he assumed office last December as part of his policy on Serbisyong Makatotohanan,” Sindac said.

Details about the police chiefs who were alleged to have underreported crime incidents in the three regions were not immediately available.

Earlier, the chiefs of police of Pasay, Mandaluyong and Taguig were relieved for allegedly underreporting crime incidents by 60 percent. Seven others are currently under investigation for similar offense.

In Western Visayas, 30 police officials including a police provincial director were relieved for the same underreporting.

 Purisima ordered the relief of Senior Superintendent Pedroto Escrilla of the Aklan police and 12 others for allegedly violating the policy on accurate crime reporting.

“I have emphasized time and again that the basis of our actions in the higher headquarters are the inputs from the lower units. It is imperative that we get the accurate data, statistics and information so we can act accordingly,” Purisima said.

Sindac said the latest sanction on erring police commanders stemmed from a recent audit by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) under Police Director Francisco Don Montenegro.

The DIDM discovered that at least 6,800 crime incidents or 41.6 percent of the cases were not reported by the police regional office 6 to them.

Sindac said 17 more former police officials in Western Visayas including four former provincial directors and 13 former chiefs are currently undergoing investigation for alleged violation of the PNP policy on crime reporting.

If found guilty, they can be dismissed from the service.