PNP nabs 11,265 wanted persons in 1st half

MANILA, Philippines - Intensified operations have resulted in the capture of 11,265 wanted persons during the first half of the year, the Philippine National Police reported yesterday.

The PNP said that those arrested were subjects of 14,092 warrants of arrest issued by the courts from January to June.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Versoza said that 19 of those arrested were included in the most wanted list with rewards for their arrest offered by various government law enforcement agencies. Three wanted persons were killed in separate armed encounters with police, while 123 other wanted suspects surrendered.

According to Verzosa, the arrest of 11,265 wanted persons highlighted the operational accomplishments of the PNP in the first semester of this year.

On Friday, police arrested former Tineg, Abra Mayor Pedro Benwaren, 69, and his son Pedro, 40, at their hideout in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Capas, Tarlac. Both men were the subjects of a warrant of arrest issued by a local court in Bangued, Abra in connection with the 2007 murder of Brenda Crisologo, wife of incumbent Tineg, Abra Mayor Edwin Crisologo.

The PNP also noted a 68.63 percent drop in the total crime volume for the first semester of the year as compared to the crime record for the same period last year.

Drop in crime volume

Verzosa credited this considerable drop in the crime volume to the intensified law enforcement and security operations during the nationwide implementation of the 150-day nationwide gun ban for the 2010 national elections that took effect from January to June 2010.

“What is very noticeable here is the direct effect of the gun ban to peace and order, particularly gun-related crimes that were effectively prevented when the instruments of crime were virtually taken away from the hands of criminal elements, threat groups and other unauthorized individuals,” he said.

Verzosa also noted a sharp 66.84 percent drop in index crime cases and 71.31 percent decrease in non-index crime cases.

Crime data culled by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) also recorded similar double-digit reduction in all crime cases categorized as crimes against persons such as murder (54.2 percent), homicide (62.92 percent) and physical injuries (71.74 percent); and crimes against property such as robbery (62.38 percent), theft (65.76 percent), carnapping (53.94 percent) and cattle-rustling (72.47 percent).

The PNP has adopted the National Crime Reporting System (NCRS) in 2009 as an efficient and accurate system of crime reporting that is now being implemented by all units in reporting crime incidents to the National Headquarters for centralized recording.