Monday, June 04, 2007 CCPO reminds cops to protect undercover agents in raids
ACTING Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Patrocinio Comendador will issue a memorandum ordering policemen to strictly follow procedures in conducting anti-illegal drug operations.
Comendador, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu yesterday, said the CCPO’s anti-illegal drug procedures are in place. But he sees the need to remind his operatives about it, following the incident in Mandaue City where PO2 Joseph Andrin got shot when his team was mobbed by the residents who sided with a drug suspect during a buy-bust.
In conducting an operation, especially a buy-bust, it is a standard operating procedure to always protect the undercover agent or the one who serves as a poseur-buyer, Comendador said.
The undercover agent is supported by a lookout who stays a few meters away.
Lookout
Apart from guarding the poseur-buyer, the lookout is also tasked to immediately inform the standby team from the Special Weapons and Tactics which is stationed nearby if the situation gets out of control.
In the absence of a lookout, a pre-arranged signal shall be agreed upon between the poseur-buyer and the standby team.
Audio set
Comendador and Senior Insp. George Ylanan, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau, said it would have been better if operatives are provided with an audio set when conducting anti-illegal drug operations.
The audio set, according to the two officials, is very helpful in coordination between the undercover agent and the back-up team.
Despite the absence of an audio set and the use of “old practices” in the operations, the two officials said the CCPO was still able to curb the illegal drug problem in the city. (JST)
