Wednesday, November 12, 2008 Bishop: Police visibility needed to curb crimes By Bong Garcia
BASILAN Bishop Martin Jumoad calls for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to be pro-active or at least visible in public places to avert the occurrence of kidnapping and other forms of crimes in the province.
Jumoad said the lack of police visibility is one of the reasons the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits continue to kidnap innocent civilians.
To date, gunmen believed to have ties with the Abu Sayyaf still hold two captives that include a non-government organization (NGO) development worker and a nursing student from Zamboanga City.
They are Manila-based development NGO professional Merlie Mendoza and Ateneo de Zamboanga University (Adzu) nursing student Joed Pilanga.
Jumoad said an active police force would not only help eliminate crimes but it could also result to more harmonious ties between them and the populace.
He said the people in Basilan province have even asked where they could go if they have security problems since they do not see any policemen around.
He added that the police should do their responsibility and protect the citizens.
Mendoza was kidnapped last September 15 together with Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. (NFI) program director Esperancita Hupida in the village of Cabangalan, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan, while Pilanga was abducted last October 17 in Zamboanga city.
The kidnappers freed Hupida on October 30 after payment of a "reasonable amount" of ransom.
The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of $1.5 million in exchange for Mendoza's release and P20 million for Pilanga.
