Crimes on the rise as holiday season comes to town
AFTER A 17.39% drop in reported crimes in the first half of the year, the Philippine National Police (PNP) attributed the slight increase of common crime victims in the third quarter to the approaching holiday season.
“The slight increase in the number of Filipinos who fell victims to crime over the past three months can be attributed to the holiday season and a greater confidence of citizens to report crime to the police,” PNP Director General Oscar D. Albayalde said in a statement on Sunday, Dec. 2.
The latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey indicated that 1.4 million families agreed that a household member was victimized by pick pocketing or robbery of personal property, break-ins, car theft or physical violence in the third quarter of 2018.
“There are certain crime types that are ‘seasonal’ in terms of frequency which become more prevalent when the element of opportunity is present such as during the holiday season when the objects of crime abound,” said Mr. Albayalde.
However, the SWS survey also showed an improvement in the feeling of safety and security of citizens against property crimes like burglary from 55% in June 2018 to 52% in September 2018.
“Overall, we take this empirical measure of public perception of experience with crime as an indication of greater feeling of safety from crime and subsequently lesser fear of crime,” the police chief said.
Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption President and Spokesperson Arsenio G. Evangelista agreed criminals are taking advantage of the holiday season to commit crimes.
“Those common crimes, like crime against property, shoot up because of the advent of the long holiday… criminals also celebrate Christmas. Lately, riding in tandem snatchers are visible,” Mr. Evangelista, speaking in mixed English and Filipino, said in a phone interview with BusinessWorld.
“How can the police address this? Mahirap (It is difficult),” Mr. Evangelista acknowledged.
He suggested that the police partner with the military to increase security visibility this season in shopping malls, transport terminals, and other identified crime-prone areas.
“Meaning buddy system… inside the mall, outside the mall, in identified crime-prone areas,” said Mr. Evangelista.
He added that local government units “should also do some interventions in their areas,” such as dispatching force multipliers who can assist the police.
Meanwhile, the PNP will step up police operations to halt the increase in the victimization rate.
“To break the cycle, we are reinforcing focused police operations against street crime and other forms of criminal activity that are prevalent during the holiday season,” said Mr. Albayalde.
“These include non-contact crime committed through cyberspace and telecommunication platforms which is fast becoming a notorious form of crime against property.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
No stopping order for Espenido return to Ozamiz City
MALACAÑANG said over the weekend that there is no compelling reason to revoke President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to reassign Police Superintendent Jovie R. Espenido back to Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) indicted Mr. Espenido last September for six counts of homicide in connection with a police operation in Ozamiz City in July 2017.
Mr. Espenido, who has been ordered to serve in Virac, Catanduanes, was the police chief of Albuera, Leyte in 2016 when then mayor Rolando R. Espinosa, Sr. was slain by cops. He was also the police chief of Ozamiz City in 2017 when then mayor Reynaldo O. Parojinog, Sr. and 14 others were killed in a police raid.
“The Palace finds no compelling reason to revoke the reassignment order of PNP Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, which took effect last November 29, on account of the opposing call by this certain group called the Concerned Ozamiz Professionals (COP), whose existence is questionable, and if it does exist is obviously supporters of the drug syndicate,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a statement on Dec. 1.
He added: “With its extensive database, the Philippine National Police is in the best position to decide on which strategies are best to undertake in stopping criminality for each locality.”
Mr. Panelo also said Mr. Espenido’s recall “is necessitated by the successful prosecution of the drug cases filed in court against the Parojinogs as he led the police operations against the illegal drugs in Ozamiz.”
“Even assuming that the incidence of crimes in Ozamiz has decreased, this can be attributable to the relentless drive of Espenido against criminal elements, and the more reason should he be taken back as police chief so he could continue his determined drive to rid Ozamiz City of the illegal drug operators,” he said. — Arjay L. Balinbin
