Police needs public assistance

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Except for three government soldiers of the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army getting killed in an encounter with alleged cadres of the New People’s Army in Balbalan, Kalinga last Tuesday, some 1,082 Comelec-deputized checkpoints manned by Cordillera cops are helping discourage criminal elements ply their trade.

That is the latest scenario as far as the data from police records that was emailed to me is concerned. No arrest was reported on the first night of checkpoints set up and manned by policemen and army personnel deputized by the Commission on Elections.

Early massive information drive on the election gun ban prior to its launching on January 10, 2016 could be the reason for the “zero” arrest of violators, the spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera (PRO-COR) said.  

On the first night of the synchronized setting up of Comelec checkpoints all over the Cordillera supervised by no less than PNP Cordillera Regional Director P/CSupt. Ulysses J. Abellera, several motor vehicles plying city roads were stopped. The only violations incurred by motorists were on traffic.

Some 1,082 checkpoints were launched by the Comelec that are now manned by police, army personnel and other law enforcement agencies in the presence of a Comelec official.

By the way, stopping motorists and checking the inside compartments of the motor vehicle by law enforcement personnel is limited to “flash lighting” on plain sight only, although the PNP will also enforce “Oplan Katok”, “Oplan Bakal”, and “Oplan Sita” to capture loose firearms and deadly weapons within the election period.

In addition, the driver and passengers of the motor vehicle cannot be asked by the law enforcement personnel to step out of the motor vehicle, unless there is qualified reason to do that.

Also, the nameplates and other identifying marks of all policemen and AFP soldiers manning checkpoints should not be hidden from view of motorists. The cold weather in Baguio and other Cordillera provinces should not be reasons to conceal police identities because they can place nameplates on their jackets or vests.

PNP heads in the region assured the public that our policemen will strictly follow Police Operational Procedures and that no human right violations will be committed while the nationwide gun ban is being implemented. But we know that for some, that is something easier said than done because there are cops who forget about procedures.

That is one reason why, the public is wary and distrustful of checkpoints because of violations of police procedures in the past that have remained in their minds.

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I doff my cap to Chief Supt. Abellera for assigning Senior Supt. Donato Bacquian, deputy police regional director for operations, to directly supervise the serving of search warrants in Abra that resulted to the arrest of wanted criminals in that notorious election hotspot.

So far, Bacquian’s team has confiscated an undetermined amount of prohibited drugs, illegal firearms such as Gauge 12 shotguns and redesigned cal.22 rifles, and the arrest of persons with pending drug and criminal cases.

As the election campaign in all media outlets has already started even while Comelec chair Andy Bautista denied it for a number of times, the PNP leadership in the Cordillera appealed to the public to inform the police and other law enforcement agencies about suspicious activities.