Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Malig: Mabalacat police helpless v. cable thieves By Jun A. Malig Cognition
SINCE I moved to a new apartment in Barangay Dau in Mabalacat town three months ago I was among the many telephone subscribers victimized by copper cable thieves. Yes, despite the PR reports about Pampanga police's no let-up campaign against lawless elements, policemen in the first-class municipality, particularly in the economically progressive Barangay of Dau, seem to be helpless against telephone cable thieves.
As a matter of fact, my Datelcom line was dead (no dial tone) while I was writing this column on Monday morning. It died three times in the last three months. Cable thieves repeatedly killed it, along with the telephone lines of other Datelcom and PLDT subscribers in my community, under the very noses of policemen whose station is just a few hundred meters away from where I reside.
What seems to be beyond my logical comprehension is the fact that these thieves keep on accomplishing their illegal activities and policemen are unable to stop them. Were the policemen in my hometown powerless against these cable bandits? If so, perhaps we need police officers who could perform better the role of law enforcers.
Law enforcement is not only about internal security or ensuring public safety. It is primarily about crime prevention and control. It is about pro-active deterrence of crimes and going after criminals through effective intelligence activities.
Even Criminology students know that intelligence activities are important in all law enforcement agencies, regardless of their sizes or jurisdictional scopes. It includes simple information gathering via various approaches, including regular consultations with community leaders and close coordination with purok chairmen, barangay tanods (watchmen) and ordinary folk.
Of course, all commissioned and non-commissioned police officers are expected to know the basics of intelligence activities. Otherwise, they would not be effective in the maintenance of peace and order and in fighting criminality.
In a text message to this columnist, Datelcom owner Anthony Dee said his company had reported about 15 separate cases of telephone cable theft to the local police. "We even gave them the name of (a) suspect here in Dau station (but) since last year wala action. Last year alone P8 million worth of cables (were) stolen. This year nasa P4 million na halos ang cable na ninakaw sa amin," the businessman added.
Despite the gravity and frequency of telephone cable theft incidents in Barangay Dau and other parts of Mabalacat, none of the thieves has been arrested or charged. None of the stolen cables has been recovered. None of the hideouts or stockrooms of the thieves has been discovered or raided by the local police.
About P12 million worth of Datelcom cables had been stolen and I'm sure other telephone companies like PLDT have also lost millions of pesos worth of telephone cables to thieves. But why do the cable thieves always get away with their illegal activities? Is it a question of competence or incompetence on the part of the law enforcers? Or is it a question that needs much deeper probe from the Philippine National Police's provincial, regional or national leadership?
The PNP's functions are very clear: Protect the lives and properties of the citizens, maintain peace and order, investigate and prevent crimes, arrest criminal offenders and assist in their prosecution, and conduct search and seizure in accordance with the Constitution and pertinent laws.
Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr., spokesperson of the PNP, issued an official statement last Sept. 19 -- as a reaction to the recent survey by the Social Weather Station (SWS) on common crime victimization -- wherein he mentioned the supposedly "86 to 91 percent" crime solution efficiency of the PNP. "We are able to solve roughly nine out of 10 cases reported to us," the police spokesperson explained.
If Pagdilao's statistics are accurate, perhaps he should take a look at the many complaints against persistent cable theft in Mabalacat that do not only interrupt the professional and personal well-beings of the residents but also affect the smooth flow of trade and commerce in the town. I guess what is actually happening in a first-class municipality in the home province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is something the national police should not overlook. (Perhaps the regional PNP office would also want to look into the numerous and persistent cases of broad daylight and nighttime snatching and robbery being perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals in Barangay Dau.)
Pagdilao is right in recognizing the fact "that there are (criminal) cases that go unreported." But he should also take note if police officers in the municipal level are actually implementing the PNP's current operational thrust on crime prevention as an effective tool against criminality. Of course, effective crime prevention requires equally efficient intelligence activities, which Mabalacat police officials must perform if only to somehow regain the trust and confidence of the people.
