More cops sent to QC churches

Don’t be surprised if you see more armed officers going to church.

The Central Police District (CPD) ordered the deployment of more policemen in all Quezon City churches following a series of robberies in the past month.

According to Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Jaraza, chief of the CPD-Intelligence Unit, they have directed the local police force to be more visible in churches and to patrol them frequently.

"The increase of police visibility in many religious institutions is not to alarm or scare people. This is just one of our measures to make sure that they will be safe from robbers or muggers," Jaraza told The STAR in an interview.

At least 10 churches have already been robbed since mid-February – seven of them in Quezon City. Police believe that only one gang is behind all incidents.

About P160,000 in cash and appliances have been looted from the Holy Cross Parish in Novaliches, San Lorenzo Parish in Tandang Sora, San Isidro Labrador Parish in Pasong Tamo, Good Shepherd Archdiocesan Shrine, Sta. Lucia Parish, Saint Francis Xavier Parish, and the Kristong Hari Parish.

Nuns and priests have been complaining that they are losing a vast amount of their daily collections and earnings. They welcomed the news of more policemen in their respective churches.

So far, the biggest caper took place Tuesday night at the Holy Cross Parish. According to Father Lauro Bejo, the suspects broke open the church’s safe, taking some P80,000 in cash.

While the robbers usually strike around midnight, the police said they are not taking any chances and will be highly visible during day time.

"We wouldn’t go as far as to screen all the churchgoers in the city, but we will certainly conduct more patrols," PO3 Rogelio Esteves said in a phone interview. – Matthew Estabillo