Representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA) highlighted the efforts of local law enforcement and security sectors in solving crime incidents and securing the town from insurgents in the recently held Barangayan sa Bagong Pilipinas Forum in Zamboanguita town, Negros Oriental.
Police Capt. Andrew Anque, chief of Zamboanguita Police Station, said local police utilized CCTV footage from private establishments to track down suspects of recent murder cases in the town that resulted to solving these crimes.
“Dako kaayong ikatabang kung adunay high definition CCTVs sa atoang palibot. Chances are, og makita nato ang proper description sa suspect pwede nato siya ma-track,” Anque said. (“Having high definition CCTVs is really an advantage for us. Chances are, when we have proper description of the suspect, it will be easy for us to track the suspect.”)
Anque added that four murder incidents were recorded in Zamboanguita from January to October this year, three of which were already solved and cases against the suspects have been filed in courts.
He appealed to barangay officials in Zamboanguita to follow the lead of the municipal government and invest in high quality CCTV systems as part of their crime prevention measures.
“Dako kaayong katabang ang CCTV kay 24 hours siya gabantay. We are glad that our local government unit (LGU) is very responsive on this matter and, in fact, an ordinance has been created and nag-start na og install og CCTV sa mga major highway sa atoang lungsod,” he said. (“Having CCTV system is really an advantage because it keeps on rolling for 24 hours. We are glad that our LGU is very responsive on this matter and in fact, an ordinance has been passed and they are already starting to install CCTV units along major highways of our town.”)
Aside from this, the municipal police station also increased the visibility of its law enforcement officers through regular conduct of checkpoints along main roads and boundaries of the town.
Anque said this is to ensure public safety as most cases of physical injury recorded by the police resulted from vehicular accidents.
He added that this is also part of the municipal police’s strategies to ensure that drivers carry with them the necessary documents to prove their driving skills and reduce traffic-related accidents.
Meanwhile, Philippine Army (PA) 11th Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Michael Aquino said government security forces are further strengthening its internal territorial defense system (ITDS) in the 3rd district of Negros Oriental to defeat the remnants of Communist-Terrorist-Group-New People’s Army (CTG-NPA) in the area.
Part of their strategies is reaching out to communities and visiting barangays to orient village officials and residents on the various recruitment schemes implemented by CTG-NPAs.
Aquino said they are continuously strengthening their linkages with the community in Zamboanguita. He assured residents that they can always reach out to the army for any assistance including disaster response and crime prevention.
“Dito sa Zamboanguita wala tayong personality na member ng CTG. Basically, nako-control natin ang problema sa CTG pero huwag po tayong magpakampante. Mayroon pa silang walong kasama na natitira at mayroon pa po silang legal front organization kaya kaya po nila mag-recruit at manglinlang,” Aquino said. (“We have not identified a personality in Zamboanguita who is a member of the CTG. Basically, our problem on CTGs is under control in this town but we must not be complacent. They still have eight members roaming around and they still have a legal front organization. They can still carry out recruitment and deceitful acts.”)
“Magtulungan pa rin po tayo para iyong walong natitirang NPA dito sa 3rd District ng Negros Oriental ay mag-surrender na,” he added. (“Let’s work together so that the eight remaining NPA here in the third district of Negros Oriental will surrender.”)
The Barangayan sa Bagong Pilipinas is PIA’s newest grassroots communication program intended to disseminate information on government thrusts and programs directly to the barangays to address a prevailing issue of the community.
This is consistent with the Bagong Pilipinas communication branding of the Presidential Communications Office.
PIA Government Information Center coordinator Jenny Tilos said the Barangayan Forum also serves as a platform for the public to raise their concerns or suggestions to government agencies.
“Ang atong gipangbuhat na pulong-pulong pagkuha usob ni sa mga sugyot, mga issue and concern, gikan sa lain-laing sektor sa katilingban aron atong mapaabot sa natungdan ahensya for appropriate action,” Tilos said. (“Our forum also provides a mechanism to gather insights, issues, and concerns from different sectors of the community which we will forward to concerned agencies for appropriate actions”).
Attended by 200 barangay officials, the Barangayan Forum in Zamboanguita was anchored on the topic: “Sa crime prevention magkahiusa ta, alang sa malinawong Bagong Pilipinas (Let’s unite in crime prevention for a peaceful Bagong Pilipinas).”
PIA brought the PNP and PA to Zamboanguita to share their security and crime prevention measures. Based on records from the PNP, the town logged a significant increase of cases in eight focus crimes from January to October this year compared to the same period in 2023.
Zamboanguita logged 6 cases of eight focus crimes in 2023, which increased to 25 cases this year. The PNP recorded four cases of murder, one case of homicide, nine cases of physical injury, three rape cases, two robbery cases, six theft cases, and one carjacking incident from January to October 20, 2024.
Although Dumaguete City, the capital of the province, logged the highest number of eight focus crimes for the year with 73 total cases, Zamboanguita had the highest percentage of increase with 19 percent this year, compared to Dumaguete City which recorded a 16 percent increase from last year. | NWI
