IN THE performance of its mandate, the PNP is doing the best it can to prevent crimes and protect the public. In the course of its everyday work, a handful of eventful things happen. Most often ordinary public service, at times heroic and sadly sometimes unpleasant, if not entirely shameful. President Rodrigo Duterte, for more than once, called the police corrupt, evil and just recently threatened to arrest them amidst the Okada issue in Parañaque. Whether the president meant all of it or not, for the PNP, no offense was taken. The PNP will still continue to serve the people under the president and will continue our sworn duty to serve and protect.
On the local scene, this region has had its fair share of the entire spectrum; the good, the bad and the ugly. Just last week, two assassination attempts happened in a matter of four days; one after the other. Thank God both victims survived. The question I, as the Spokesperson of Police Regional Office 10, am frequently asked about is: "Why are there still armed men who are able to roam the streets attempting to kill people on broad daylight despite the tightening of security by the police and military?"
Allow me to cite, for better understanding, a case of an assassin executing a liquidation plot. In an instant that a determined assassin decides to execute a liquidation plot for some compelling reason, that attacker could never, under normal circumstances, be prevented. Save for situations where the would-be victim knew about the plot beforehand. Otherwise, forestalling it is next to impossible. This explains why a number of assassinations of the most tightly-guarded world leaders all over the world, the likes of Kennedy, Reagan and even Pope John Paul II, happened.
"If only there were police in the area, it would never have happened," says some self-proclaimed public safety analysts. False! Been there, done that! I was personally around with dozens of fully-armed security escorts when the country's first case of suicide assassin shot Isabela City Mayor Luis Biel II sometime in 2007 with a snub-nosed Smith & Wesson revolver. The assassin instantly faced his creator after the attack; even faster than Mayor Biel who made it to the hospital but later expired. After that incident, one thing became certain to us: Our presence, with all the menacing look and high-powered weapons, cannot not stop a determined assassin.
"Now, then these police patrollers are useless if they can't prevent crimes?" Wrong! They might not be able to stop determined attackers, but they prevent those who still think of the negative consequence. Hence, the need of patrolling the streets is still one of the most effective crime prevention strategies there is.
"If that is so, why not saturate the streets with cops and at least prevent common criminals?" Much that the PNP would want to, the resources are limited. Nevertheless, the PNP did not stop where the handicap and challenge emerged. The PNP used a strategy similar to NYPD CompStat to effectively use personnel where they mattered. The tool utilizes real numbers and determines deployment according to territorial needs. They are revised weekly, if needed, based on recorded crime occurrences. This is where reporting crime becomes useful. Notwithstanding community support and cooperation, with the right information, crime prevention is possible.