JOEL P. MAPILES
Enough is enough! Stop unlawful acts!
This was the strong message of Governor Lilia G. Pineda the other day as she warned the lawless elements and criminals in Pampanga that “their days are numbered” as the provincial government is bent to apply the full force of the law.
This developed as the provincial government was assured of the commitment and full support of the 5,370 barangay officials, all municipal mayors and law enforcement agencies of the government in its fight against all forms of criminality.
The governor made it clear that criminals have no place in this peace loving province of Pampanga.
“We have to clean the province and rest assured that the government is dead serious in bringing to jail the perpetrators of criminal activities”, she said.
She directed the barangay officials to work closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
She said that these agencies of the government play important roles in the fight against all forms of criminality and violence such as carnapping, kidnapping, robbery, theft, drug pushing, murder, among others.
The chief provincial executive likewise ordered the barangay officials to start their registry of barangay inhabitants which shall include a comprehensive list of residents, transients and migrants in the community including their sources of income and means of livelihood.
“Nananawagan ako sa inyong lahat na pagtulungan nating labanan ang kriminalidad,” she called on the barangay officials as she enjoined them to report suspicious characters and unlawful acts in their communities.
All reports of monitored and observed unlawful acts should be forwarded to the PNP hotlines 0933-3653-1467, 045-963-3874; PDEA 0927-265-3848; LTO 09228841230 and NBI 045-455-2809, Pineda said.
She further instructed the council members to be actively involved in the activities of the newly-organized Peace and Order Task Force and maintain direct and easy communication access with each other to ensure quick and fast action.
In addition to the PNP manned check-points, Pineda also requested the AFP to put up check points in strategic areas of the province and the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) to join the monitoring activities as well.
Based on PNP records, the crime incidence in the province from December 2010 to January 31, 2011 reached 785 cases or an increase of 192 cases or 20 percent over that of the same period in the previous year.
At the same time, the province’s index crime also registered an increase of 23 percent.
Among the incidences of crime reported, murder cases ranked first with the towns of Arayat, Mexico and the City of San Fernando having the highest number of incidence.
Physical injuries, carnapping in the City of San Fernando, Mabalacat, Mexico, Sta. Ana and San Luis follow next in the number of crime incidence reported.
“Let us all do our part in making Pampanga a crime-free province,” Pineda said as she added that this would not only ensure peace and order in the province but in the entire country as a whole.
As an integral part of the crime prevention program, the provincial government recently sponsored a one-day briefing on the role of the barangays in solving criminality at the King’s Royale in Bacolor town.
During the said activity, Governor Pineda and Board Member Crisostomo Garbo underscored the important role of barangay officials in ensuring and maintaining peace and order in the province as they are the frontliners in their respective communities.
Director Florida Dijan of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region III provided inputs on the organization of barangay peace and order council, preparation of barangay integrated area and community public safety plan (IACSP), organization of Bantay Bayan, and overview of Katarungang Pambarangay.
More so, Prosecutor Otto Makabulos of the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office discussed the salient features of Katarungang Pambarangay while updates on the peace and order situation were presented by officials of the PNP, NBI, PDEA and the Philippine Army.
