‘No let-up drive on motorcycle-riding criminals’

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome gave this ordered this to 17 police regional directors and commanders of the different national operating units during their command conference after the traditional New Year’s Call to the national police commander last Monday.

Bartolome reiterated his instruction last year for all his commanders to take appropriate actions to address criminal cases involving motorcycle-riding gunmen.

The PNP chief and National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Alan LM Purisima earlier allayed public fears of a growing crime wave in Metro Manila as both officials said that the PNP is addressing the concern more effectively and with efficiency.

He has ordered his high command to take appropriate actions to address the matter as he vowed to go after the heads of police commanders who will fail to stop criminality particularly involving motorcycle-riding assassins and thieves in their jurisdiction.

Last year, he ordered the PNP Quad Staff to initiate action and address the situation with urgency and effect. The PNP Quad Staff composed of the PNP Directors for Operations, Intelligence, Investigation and Police-Community Relations was tasked to conduct a strategic review of the Police Integrated Patrol System and its implementation by the PNP territorial units.

Bartolome ordered his men to establish reassuring police presence in the streets and communities 24-hours a day, seven times a week to ‘allay the apprehensions of our people of a falsely perceived crime wave sweeping the metropolis’ and asked his men to see to it that there will be a certainty of punishment for criminal elements.

He also invoked the second item of his 10-point action program on all police commanders designated to lead PNP forces in a particular area.

“As for the police commanders designated to lead PNP forces in affected area, I am henceforth invoking the second item of my 10-point action program by evaluating results of operation as part of the Periodic Performance Audit of police commanders to determine who are at par with the job and who fall short of the expected work results,” he said.

He said that he will not hesitate to replace ground commanders who will fail to do their job under the principle of command responsibility and added that the PNP will further strengthen community defenses by reinforcing existing operational plans against organized and street crimes.

The PNP chief said that operational and tactical police action on the ground will continue this year with renewed vigor against high-speed criminals engaged in carjacking, robbery, kidnappings and street crimes.

Police specialists and dedicated units including the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under Director Samuel D. Pagdilao Jr., the Highway Patrol Group headed by Chief Superintendent Leonardo A. Espina, the Intelligence Group under Chief Supt. Manuel R. Barcena and the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response headed by Senior Supt. Isagani R. Nerez were asked to take the lead in the stepped-up anti-criminality campaign, he said.

PNP spokesman, Chief Supt. Agrimero A. Cruz Jr. said the PNP chief has ordered stepped-up patrols in the streets to further help protect the citizenry from daring criminals specifically motorcycle-riding robbers this year.

Cruz said that the PNP Chief has ordered all 17 police regional directors to strictly implement the PIPS which calls for the systematic employment of beat and mobile patrols in crime-prone areas in accordance with the so-called ‘crime clock.’