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Tuesday, September 11, 2007
‘Vigilante’ attacks, crime stats affect Cebu annual rating
By Jovy S. Taghoy and Mia E. Abellana
CEBU CITY -- The vigilante-style killings in Cebu City will be among the issues that a team of inspectors from the Camp Crame will be looking into during this year’s annual general inspection (AGI).
Deputy Inspectorate General Irving Malunda of the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) and vice chairman of this year’s AGI team said this will be particularly given attention when they assess the crime records of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
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“I don’t have any records on that (vigilante-style killings), but we will be checking that in Cebu City. We will check the crime rate, crime volume and crime solution efficiency,” Malunda said.
The team of inspectors will come up with its assessment and recommendation during the exit briefing on Friday.
Since December 2004, about 180 people, most of them criminal records, were summarily executed in Cebu City.
Gunned down recently by motorcycle-riding men were suspected robbery suspects Rodulfo “Dupong” Atega Jr., 21, and Brando Babao, 41.
Atega was killed last September 4 while he was inside a taxicab at the corner of General Maxilom Avenue and D. Jakosalem Street.
Babao was gunned down last July 24 while in a taxicab along on McArthur Boulevard in Barangay Carreta.
The two victims have just posted bail when they were shot.
Police, however, said the attacks were carried out by serial killers, not a handiwork of vigilantes.
The AGI team will evaluate the anti-crime programs, intelligence operations, logistics, administrative management and community relations of police units in Central Visayas.
The successful hosting of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Cebu, is also a plus factor in the evaluation, Malunda said.
Since no major untoward incidents happened during the summit, Malunda said this indicated “that the regional office was really prepared for that activity and they were effective and efficient.”
He said the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Central Visayas placed among the top 10 regional offices during last year’s inspection.
Because logistics are included in the inspection, Malunda said they will also assess the status of some of the Philippine National Police (PNP) support units that are affected by the decision of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to recover all the provincial-owned lots.
A portion of the Camp Sotero Cabahug, home of the CCPO, is where the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Traffic Management Group and the PNP Crime Laboratory and CCPO hold office.
Meanwhile, the inspectors had a few pointers for the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) as they began the AGI and the operational readiness security inspection test and evaluation (Orsite) Monday.
They praised, however, the way in which the Scene of the Crime Operations (Soco) was conducted, saying it was clear the team leader was aware of the procedures.
CPPO officers acted out a scenario wherein bank robbers were intercepted at a high risk checkpoint.
Three men also planted a bomb at the “Bank of CPPO” and held three persons hostage.
Superintendent Allan Cuevillas, a member of the inspecting team, noted that there was no proper briefing and inspection before the team was sent to conduct the checkpoint.
In conducting a checkpoint, he said two police officers in plainclothes should be on a motorcycle nearby.
This is because they cannot compel drivers to let them search private vehicles without a warrant.
“This is where the intelligence operatives come in. They can do the tailing and you can inform the next police station,” Cuevillas said.
He also suggested that in conducting checkpoints, they should have a credible witness in case any arrests are made.
This was because in the scenario, three bank robbers were arrested at the checkpoint and sent to the police station for investigation, while police documented the search of the vehicle at the crime scene.
He said the evidence is carried from the crime scene to the police station and the arrested persons could question this in court later on.
As for the hostage-taking situation, Cuevillas pointed out that the negotiator should not be visible.
Cuevillas noticed that much time was wasted during the negotiation but they were unable to establish the identities of the victims and suspects before the assault was carried out.
Cuevillas, though, was satisfied with the way Inspector Allan Cuizon led the Soco team in sweeping the crime scene of the bank.
One of the hostage takers was “killed”, prompting the Soco to respond.
Cuizon led a meticulous search of the crime scene, taking his time in labeling evidence, photographing them and gathering them.
“I am content. I can see that he (Cuizon) knows what he is doing,” Cuevillas said.
Before the AGI and Orsite began, CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria said they were “giving it our best shot.”
Although the CPPO has always scored high in AGI and Orsite assessments, it has always lost points because it does not have a permanent headquarters.
During the rank inspection at the PRO 7 headquarters Monday afternoon, long hair, unpolished shoes, inappropriate duty belts, rusted handcuffs, no notebooks, no whistles and no white handkerchiefs were among the minor lapses the inspectors noticed.
For the first time, the AGI team used a “controlled inspection” where Chief Superintendent Orlando Maddela, who led the inspection, gave orders to the troop commander—Superintendent Melvin Gayotin. Gayotin, in turn, relayed the orders to all the platoons.
Inspectors found out that some of the handcuffs were either already eaten by rust or have no keys. Some of the police officers had to borrow keys from their colleagues to open the handcuffs.
This was discovered when the police personnel were ordered to face each other and handcuff the person in front of them.
They were also made to recite the Miranda Doctrine before handcuffing the suspect. (Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (September 11, 2007 issue)
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