600 more cops deployed in NCR over shootings

MANILA, Philippines — In response to a spate of shooting incidents last month, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed at least 600 police officers to augment its forces in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The police officers, who had been doing administrative duties in offices at the PNP’s national headquarters in Camp Crame, were deployed to provide additional muscle to the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), the unit in charge of the safety and security of Metro Manila, according to PNP public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo.

The NCRPO has at least 24,839 officers and personnel, according to its spokesperson, Lt. Col. Eunice Salas.

The deployment of additional police officers was in response to the directive of PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil to police commanders to beef up police presence in the wake of several shootings, the latest of which is the killing of a family driver during a road rage incident along the EDSA-Ayala tunnel in Makati City on May 28.

The suspect in the shooting, businessman Gerrard Raymund Yu, was slapped with a murder complaint before the city prosecutor’s office.

Another shooting happened in Barangay Pinyahan, Quezon City last May 24 wherein a motorcycle rider shot to death Land Transportation Office registration division chief Mercedita Gutierrez.

The suspect, Danny Bulado, is under police custody and has denied involvement in the incident.

An employee of a restobar in Barangay Sacred Heart in Quezon City was wounded after he was shot by two men on a motorcycle last May 30.

The PNP has also entered into an agreement with ride-hailing company MyTaxi.PH Inc., also known as Grab, and We-Load Transcargo Corp., which operates motorcycle ride-hailing app Move it Philippines, to enhance public safety,

Through the agreement, Marbil said Grab and Move it Philippines would collaborate with the PNP on various security initiatives, focusing on ensuring the safety of commuters and motorists as well as the transportation of goods.

“Our collective goal is to create a safer environment for all stakeholders, aligning our operations with the welfare of our citizens and the preservation of our environment for future generations,” Marbil said in a statement.

Marbil said the partnership is a comprehensive approach to public safety and security, recognizing the private sector’s role.

“By pooling our resources, expertise and dedication, we can foster enhanced cooperation and coordination, thereby ensuring that our roads and communities are safer and more secure,” he said.