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Street crimes

GO hard against criminals

WITH just 11 months before the filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 9, 2022 elections, the government is set to employ a new strategy aimed at addressing the resurgence of street crimes.

In his public address last Wednesday, no less than President Rodrigo Duterte noted the upsurge of street crimes in the country, which prompted him to announce his intention to “go hard” against criminals.

Note that the tough-talking President from Mindanao is set to complete his 52ndmonth in office on Saturday, October 31, leaving him with just 20 months to fulfill his poll campaign promises in 2016.

Duterte boomed during his campaign speeches that if elected Chief Executive, he would prioritize the fight against the “drug monster,” graft and corruption in government offices, and criminality.

In his public address last week, Duterte expressed the need to purchase new motorcycles for the PNP, saying motorcycle-riding criminals could easily get away after committing crimes.

After Duterte’s speech, Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) promised that he would employ the new strategy in running after the country’s criminals.

Año said the acquisition of new motorcycles is seen to strengthen the policemen’s capability to prevent and respond to street crimes.

The 200,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP), like the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), is under the DILG.

Gagawa kami ng strategy. It would be a combination of uniformed and non-uniformed policemen just for that purpose. Lilinisin natin yung mga kalsada…ng masasamang loob,” said Año.

At the same time, Año assured the public that the campaign to address street crimes will not spare police scalawags.

In fact, the DILG top honcho vowed to jail all police officers and men who continue to engage in criminal activities as part of the agency’s internal cleansing program.

PNP chief Director-General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, who is set to retire next month, had earlier said that some 4,000 policemen have been dismissed from the police service.

It would do well for the government, through the PNP, to hit hard at street criminals as President Duterte gears up for the last 20 months of his administration.