MANILA, Philippines - Metro Manila was “generally peaceful” during the Holy Week except for three crimes foiled by police, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday.
“There were no major incidents,” said NCRPO director Chief Superintendent Nicanor Bartolome.
At around 4 a.m. yesterday, Malabon City policemen foiled robbers from stealing computers belonging to the Spiralz computer shop after its owner, Edcel Cuarteros, alerted lawmen on night patrol.
Policemen found four robbers as they were loading computers into a blue Nissan Vanette (UFK-436). According to police, the robbers shot at the responding policemen, triggering a gunfight. The robbers drove off with the van, which was later found abandoned along Lagman street in Barangay Santulan. All the stolen computers were recovered, Bartolome said.
On Maundy Thursday, Quezon City policemen recovered a stolen Toyota Fortuner in Barangay Bagbag, Novaliches an hour after it was reported stolen.
Bartolome said the car thieves – two men and a woman – stole the white Fortuner at about 5:50 p.m. along Isarog Street in La Loma. The driver, Ramon Ramos, sought police assistance. Police tracked the vehicle using its onboard global positioning system. The Fortuner was recovered at about 7:10 p.m. in Kingspoint Subdivision.
The car thieves “abandoned the vehicle after sensing that they were being followed,” said Bartolome.
On Good Friday, a policeman on patrol foiled a jeepney robbery in Barangay Socorro and arrested one of two robbers who tried to stab him.
“Our full alert and police visibility during the Holy Week break prevented many crimes from happening and helped immediately solve those that did happen,” Bartolome said.
Meanwhile, Bartolome said the NCRPO will redeploy the bulk of its personnel from foot patrols back to the various bus terminals and sea ports of Metro Manila as residents return from the provinces after the Holy Week break.
Bartolome added that the number of policemen deployed at the various shopping malls and tourist districts of Metro Manila will also be doubled.