Governor Lilia G. Pineda is leaving no stone unturned in her bid to solve problems of criminality in the province.
This developed when the governor recently called an emergency meeting of local officials and heads of agencies involved in peace and order problems, particularly in view of the recent spate of carjacking-related incidents in the province.
“Ginagawa natin ang lahat upang mapabuti ang Pampanga, pero nagkakaroon ng di magandang imahe dahil sa pagkasangkot nito sa mga krimen nitong nagdaang mga araw,” the governor lamented.
She emphasized she would not let adverse situations negate the many positive things going for Pampanga even as she called on all stakeholders to form a task force to put a stop to carjacking and related problems in the province.
She sought more efficient and prompt action from the Philippine National Police (PNP) even as she asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the province to screen applicants for business name more thoroughly.
“Kailangang suriin ang lahat ng negosyong pumapasok sa lalawigan, at mag-focus sa mga second hand car dealers at tiyaking walang illegal na gawain.”
Senior Superintendent Petronio Retirado of the Pampanga PNP told the group that aside from inadequate manpower and equipment, the police had recently concentrated on riding in tandem motorcycle suspects which may have allowed carnappers to escape their net.
The governor said there should be excuses for any more crimes committed from hereon while calling on barangay captains to know exactly what is going on in their barangays.
“Sila ang first line of defense at responsibility kaya dapat maging alerto sila sa mga bagong mukha at sasakyan na pumapasok sa kanilang barangay at ipagbigay alam agad sa mga mayor o pulisya ang anumang kahina-hinalang kilos.”
She also enjoined the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to exert more caution in the registration of vehicles and suggested having a website of all registered vehicles against which to check all those applying for registration.
Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba, president of the Pampanga Mayors League, commended and expressed support for the governor’s move to solve the current peace and order problems even as he rallied stronger support for the PNP and the AFP among local government executives.
Our peace keeping authorities, he stressed, are limited in terms of manpower and equipment and “they get demoralized further by some fiscal’s dismissal of certain cases, leaving their efforts to naught”.
Mayor Jomar Hizon of Bacolor suggested the passing of ordinances instituting a barangay ID system for an easier monitoring of strangers coming in, an idea welcomed by those present.
Board Members Cris Garbo and Ric Yabut expressed support for the idea and vowed to do their counterpart work in the provincial level while the chief of staff of the City of San Fernando voiced confidence that Mayor Oscar Rodriguez shall support it as well.
The governor also asked the LTO to provide a list of suspicious license plates so that the barangay captains may be alerted in case these may enter their communities.
Angie Blanco, provincial local government officer, explained that under the local government code, irresponsible barangay officials may be removed from their posts and even jailed. She added that an alternative or complementary move to the barangay ID system is the updating of census of inhabitants in the barangay.
Second district Rep. Gloria M. Arroyo commended the bright ideas and suggestions that came out in the meeting and urged the group to pursue the barangay ID system.
She also suggested that fiscals be included in the composition of the task force in view of their involvement in the processing of cases filed against suspected carnappers and criminals and that barangay tanods be trained further since they could do police work in the barangay level.
Arroyo also congratulated the governor for “your immediate and strong response to the call of the present situation” and expressed confidence that “you will succeed in your drive against criminality with the commitment of all those in the task force”.
The governor vowed to call more meetings of the task force prior to conducting personal visits to target establishments and communities. (Pampanga PIO)
