The Northern Police District-District Intelligence and Investigation Division (NPD-DIID) was again chosen as best intelligence unit of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) for the second quarter of this year.
Chief Inspector Rogelio Ramos Jr., NPD intelligence officer, said the citation was conferred to the NPD-DIID last Tuesday by NCRPO Regional Intelligence Division chief Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez.
The NPD-DIID, headed by Superintendent Rafael Santiago Jr., also bested in the first quarter of the year the four other NCRPO district intelligence divisions for its excellence in information gathering and case build-up.
These resulted in the neutralization of two major criminal groups operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Last April 28, the NPD-DIID agents, led by Santiago, tracked down a group of hijackers in West Canumay, Valenzuela City.
This led to an encounter which resulted in the killing of five hijackers including the group’s leader identified only as Boy Pasig and his No. 2 man named only as Martin, an ex-Marine soldier.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of a hijacked truck with its cargo of raw materials in making plastic products worth some P1.3 million still intact.
Three Chinese cohorts of the group were also arrested and charged in court.
On March 2, the NPD-DIID operatives rescued in Caloocan City kidnapped victim Eric Tan.
Tan, a trader from Valenzuela City, was snatched by armed members of kidnap-for-ransom group outside his office and was brought to the suspects’ hideout in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.
In less than three hours after Tan’s abduction, Santiago’s men were able to trace the victim’s whereabouts.
A rescue operation was immediately conducted resulting in the death of three kidnappers including their leader, a certain Bryan Diario and the safe recovery of Tan.
Senior agent William Lipata, of the Camp Crame Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM), said that Diario’s group is also wanted by his team for a string of criminal activities including bank robbery, kidnapping, and hijacking.
NPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango, also commended his men for their excellent job but also challenged them to work even harder and maintain close coordination with other intelligence units for the success of their fight against all forms of criminal elements.