EPD, Rizal police to form task force vs crime groups

Top officials of the Eastern Police District (EPD) and the Rizal PNP agreed yesterday to create dedicated police teams to go after at least 13 criminal and car theft syndicates operating in their areas of responsibilities (AORs).

Under Task Force Silangan, the teams from EPD and Rizal would jointly patrol areas like the Marcos Highway and Ortigas Extension, where several FX taxi and jeepney robberies have taken place in the last few months.

"We will work as a team in combating criminal syndicates operating in our boundaries," said EPD director Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman, who also heads the task force. "There will be no more finger-pointing from now on because we will jointly commit ourselves to the purpose."

Senior Superintendent Freddie Panen, Rizal PNP provincial director, was tapped as Ticman’s deputy.

Ticman said they will regularly share information and update each other to produce results immediately.

Attending the meeting the other day at the EPD headquarters in Pasig were station commanders from the cities of Marikina, Pasig and Mandaluyong and the town of San Juan as well as police chiefs from San Mateo, Antipolo, Cainta and Taytay.

Ticman said they are targeting 13 criminal groups. "We expect them to lie low for a while. But we will bring the battle to their turf and safehouses because we know where they are hiding."

He noted that robbery groups often strike between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. along Marcos Highway and Ortigas Extension, especially atop the Rosario Bridge in Barangay Rosario.

Ticman said that if the joint campaign against criminal syndicates proves to be successful, they will employ the same formula in the war against illegal drugs. – Non Alquitran