Magic Eye operatives, volunteers vs kotong cops

Taking to heart President Arroyo’s directive showing no mercy in the renewed campaign against "kotong" cops, the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) fielded yesterday thousands of Magic Eye operatives and volunteers along Metro Manila’s thoroughfares and busy streets.

NCRPO chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco said the Magic Eye operatives and civilian volunteers will act as "secret marshals" as envisioned by President Arroyo in the fight against "kotong" cops. Magic Eye operatives and volunteers, who have signed up to act as eyes and ears of the police in the streets, have been actively involved in the over-all anti-criminality drive of the NCRPO months after Velasco assumed his post last July.

Velasco said these plainclothes operatives and volunteers will be tasked primarily to go after few police scalawags and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic enforcers who mulct money from drivers of public utility vehicles, particularly passenger buses and jeepneys.

The Magic Eye personnel will be tapped to make the arrests while the civilian volunteers, to include drivers and passengers, will phone-in the presence of "kotong" cops, said Velasco. "We are taking to heart President Arroyo’s order to arrest, jail and file cases against so called "kotong" cops, who are mostly traffic enforcers. These rogues in uniform will be dealt with harshly and properly like summary dismissal, (or) reassignment to far-flung areas," the NCRPO chief said. He said "kotong" cops arrested in earlier campaigns are presently assigned as utility platoon at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig pending resolution of their criminal and administrative cases.

Velasco also encouraged Metro Manilans to report mulcting cops through Magic Eye txt Patrol 2910, or reach him through his cellular phone numbers 0917-8413752 or 0917-6004821. They, too, can report or file complaints at his office at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa at tel. nos. 8380434 or 8372486 local 755. They can also reach the NCRPO’s Tactical Operations Center at numbers 8383354, 8385594, and 8383427.

He likewise urged the public to help the NCRPO take on the task of putting a stop to extortion activities of unscrupulous elements of the Philippine National Police by reporting such illegal activities. Aside from the activities of the mulcting cops, the Magic Eye staff and volunteers have been tapped to report crime incidents for the immediate deployment of police agents in answer to emergencies.