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Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Baguio is open target by criminals: Vergara
BAGUIO City Mayor Bernardo Vergara rallied the public Tuesday to become more vigilant as he claimed that Baguio, being the most visited city north of Metro Manila, is an open target by criminal elements.
Vergara said criminals from as far as Angeles, Olongapo, Ilocos and Pangasinan prefer Baguio as an ideal place for their nefarious activities because of its status in terms of economy and tourism.
"Baguio is an open target by criminal elements, which is why, we are soliciting the support of the public, especially those in the barangays to be more active in providing the police with information regarding these criminal elements," he stressed.
Vergara’s appeal was aired during the presentation of the three suspected taxi robbers, who were arrested on March 14 by operatives of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) with the help of the victimized taxi driver. Vergara said the cooperation showed by the taxi driver is an indication of being vigilant.
The call for public vigilance also came in the heels of a series of robberies in the city the past weeks, where millions of pesos worth of cash and properties were carted away by the robbers.
Aside from being a vulnerable area, Vergara also decried the increasing numbers of beggars and psychotic vagrants, whom he claimed, mostly came from the lowlands.
The local police assured Vergara that ensuring the continuous protection and safety of tourists in Baguio is one of their main concerns.
The Police Regional Office-Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO-CAR) also reported that some 30 rebel returnees-turned-police informants were deployed to Baguio, particularly within the central business district, especially during the Panagbenga Baguio Flower Festival street dancing and float parade.
The rebel-returnees secretly worked with the BCPO operatives in apprehending thieves and robbers when thousands of tourists came up to Baguio to witness two of Panagbenga’s crowd-drawing events. HFP
(March 17, 2004 issue)
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