CITY OF SAN FERNANDO- Provincial Police (PPO) Director R’win Pagkalinawan clarified that he did not submit any recommendation to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the declaration of Pampanga as high risk area or be included in the election hot spot in the 2013 elections.
This came amid the announcement of DILG Secretary Mar Roxas that Pampanga is one of the 15 provinces named high risk areas in the coming mid term election.
Senior Superintendent Pagkalinawan in a radio interview said, he was surprised with the declaration of Secretary Roxas.
“Nagulat ako nung isama ni Sec. Roxas ang Pampanga sa mga high risk areas lalo na walang recommendation na nanggaling sa aming opisina,”clarified Pagkalinawan.
He added crime rate in the province dwindles tremendously under the Pineda administration, from the recorded 500 crime incidents monthly, it went down to an average of 200 incidents per month.
He disclosed that in Pampanga, only the municipality of Arayat can be included as high risk area due to reported crime incidents and not the whole province which is apparently peaceful.
Other areas declared hotspot by Roxas were Nueva Ecija, Abra, Pangasinan, Cagayan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Batangas, Cavite, Masbate, Samar, Misamis Occidental, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan.
By Jenna V. Lumbang, PIO Pampanga
