ILOILO City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas is asking closer coordination of police and security guards of business establishments to combat the rising tide of criminalities in the city.

The city peace and order council (CPOC) gave greater emphasis on criminalities in Iloilo, especially the operation of basag kotse gangs, in its conference Tuesday and its assessment on the measures already implemented to deter petty crimes and the presence of kidnap-for-ransom personalities and hold-uppers operating in this southern city.

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Treñas said he is supporting the necessary equal force policy of Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Director Isagani Cuevas in fighting off the criminals as what had happened in Makati City recently.

The city mayor said the criminalities should be stopped with impunity and this can be done with equal force from the policemen. He said there must be more police visibility and the deployment of more plainclothes policemen in areas where there are more people and cars.

The newly graduated 100 police auxiliaries and barangay peacekeepers are already deployed in the barangays to augment the organic police visibility, including more police cars.

Business establishments and their security force must likewise coordinate with the police in order to deter the criminals, Treñas said.

Last Saturday, November 7, another basag kotse incident happened at the carpark of SM City Iloilo.

Treñas said the incident is not isolated in Iloilo but is also happening in other places. He is calling the attention and assessing the performance of all police station commanders to uphold the law and combat the criminals. (LCP)