Hit hard on criminals, new NCR police chief told

MANILA -- Amid the increased crime rate in Metro Manila and after an extort try by two erring cops, Philippine National Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome urged a newly installed police official to "hit hard" on law breakers.

Bartolome told Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, the new head of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), to maximize the deployment of police resources and personnel in "every nook and cranny" of the metropolis for a stronger law enforcement.

"Hit hard on criminals and protect the people," Bartolome told Espina as the latter was formally installed Friday as the new NCRPO chief.

Bartolome also ordered to mobilize the entire 17,000-strong police force in NCR to cover "every square inch" of the 21 identified crime prone areas in the metropolis.

Early this week, the PNP admitted that crime incidence has decreased all over the country except in Metro Manila in the first half of the year.

From January to June, authorities recorded 29,231 crimes in NCR, a 57 percent increase from the 18,671 recorded incidents in the same period in 2011.

The increase in crime incidents was due to the fact that criminals have apparently become "smarter," according to Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., PNP spokesman.

And to efficiently stop law breakers, Bartolome told Espina to complement and innovate existing anti-crime programs with new strategic and operational directions in crime prevention and control.

Bartolome said law enforcers should emphasize greatly on community mobilization, proactive intelligence, neutralization of wanted persons, and interdiction operations against organized crime groups.

The PNP chief also asked Espina of a zero backlog solution on the pending administrative cases against erring policemen.

He added that all pending administrative cases involving NCRPO personnel should be resolved within the next 30 days.

Bartolome made these statements days after two policemen from the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) tried to extort money from no less than the son of Espina.

On Tuesday evening, two policemen chanced on a vehicle parked along Doña Hemady street in Quezon City and saw the driver, who turned out to be Espina's son, chatting on his mobile phone.

The two cops, identified as Senior Police Officer 4 Jose dela Peña and Police Officer 2 Resty del Rosario, accosted the vehicle and accused Espina's son of engaging in "phone sex."

They allegedly demanded P20,000 as "fine" for the violation, which was later negotiated to P5,000.

However, the cops' extort try failed when Espina's son handed his mobile phone to dela Peña, who talked to the NCRPO chief.

Upon realizing that a high-ranking police official was on the other line, dela Peña returned the phone to Espina's son and abandoned him.

Espina has clarified that his son did not give the money to the erring cops, who belong to the QCPD Mobile Patrol Unit.

The two have been disarmed since the incident while their badges were confiscated.

The NCRPO chief has vowed to go after abusive law enforcers, saying he will not allow "a few rotten eggs" to ruin the reputation of the PNP.

"[D]apat tanggalin ang mga ganitong klaseng pulis [These cops should be discharged]," Espina said in earlier interviews with reporters. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani/Sunnex)