Kidnap cases in Metro down 60% in last 5 months

The decrease by 60 percent of kidnap cases in Metro Manila during the last five months was the most notable accomplishment of Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, head of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

Velasco attributed the decrease to the neutralization of six identified kidnap-for-ransom groups in the Philippine National Police (PNP) list, which include those of Pentagon kidnap gang leader Faisal Marohambsar and Rolando Patinio.

In the first seven months of year 2002, Velasco noted that kidnapping cases dropped by 43 percent compared to the same period in 2001.

The NCRPO has also dismantled shabu laboratories in Parañaque City, Valenzuela City and Navotas resulting in the recovery of close to P2 billion in sophisticated equipment and raw materials. The seizures were lauded by Interior Secretary Jose Lina as a big blow to the drug trade in the country with billions worth of shabu taken off the market.

The NCRPO chief stressed that the achievements of his command in the anti-criminality campaign could not have been made possible without the help of the citizenry. "Peace and order is everybody’s responsibility. That is why the NCRPO has always worked to bring the police closer to the people," said Velasco. He cited the Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910 and the setting up of Police Express Assistance booths in major malls in the metropolis as among the programs that greatly boosted his massive anti-criminality drive.

The public can easily avail of police services in emergency situations in the Magic Eye Txt Patrol 2910 while Police Express Assistance booths are mini-police stations with police officers who can receive criminal complaints, investigate and file charges against criminal offenders.

The NCRPO, however, has not only excelled in crime-fighting but has been responsible for various other campaigns to bring back the trust of the citizenry to the police and of striking at the very heart of crime – poverty.

Among such programs are "Police Officer Magalang," and the "Pulis Malinis" projects. The "Police Officer Magalang" campaign aims to make politeness and congeniality as a must virtue for all the cops in the NCRPO. The policemen are encouraged to use "po," "ho," "Sir," and "Ma’am" in their transactions with the citizenry and make themselves approachable. "Pulis Malinis," on the other hand, is tied-up with the Magic Eye program of the NCRPO, where all cops are encouraged to live decently and maintain clean reputations.

Likewise, the NCRPO has immersed itself in providing an alternative livelihood for its cops to dissuade them from engaging in petty graft and corrupt practices. Accepting the fact that six out of 10 Metro Manila policemen are poor, the NCRPO has given the cops and their dependents opportunities to earn additional income.

In close coordination with several business groups, particularly the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the Department of Agriculture (DA), the NCRPO has provided for the education of cops and their dependents in handicraft manufacturing and agri-aqua farming at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.