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Crame asked to address police incapacities
here
Capitol
and city hall officials want Camp Crame to address the manpower
and mobility incapacities of the police in Bohol, especially
in Tagbilaran City, as Boholanos get impatient with how the
present litany of killings and armed robberies confront the
lawmen and exposes their failures.
The
Sangguniang Panlalawigan and Sangguniang Panlungsod asked
in separate resolutions Philippine National Police (PNP) Director-General
Oscar Calderon to field additional policemen and vehicles
in the province and its capital even without immediate compliance
with the ideal police-population ratio.
Unsolved
crimes include robberies and the murder of a resort marketing
executive and events director while another in the near rape
of a hotel front desk lady.
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The
lack of patrolmen and mobility units, including motorcycles,
in the Tagbilaran City Police Office (TCPO) have slowed
down police response to crank calls and alarms.
The
police should as well have sufficient intelligence fund
to effectively pump up campaign against series of crimes.
A
lone armed man robbed and injured a lady dentist inside
her clinic located a block from the city police station
on Monday, followed by a heist victimizing an Italian
and his Boholana wife in barangay Ubujan.
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The
city council resolution authored by Vice Mayor Jose Antonio
Veloso explains to the police director-general and Camp Crame
chief that "almost all existing vehicles of the City
PNP are dilapidated and need major repairs."
At
the Capitol, a resolution by Board Member Alfonso Damalerio
II also reveals a shortage of almost 400 cops in the entire
province.
Under
the PNP Law and Republic Act 6175, as amended by RA 8551,
there should be one police officer for every 1,000 civilians.
Bohol's
population now reaches 1,252,282, based on recent statistics,
which suggests that there should be at least 1,252 active
police officers province-wide.
Damalerio
said that the Bohol police personnel is only 1,072-strong,
short of about 180.
Of
the total, 120 are assigned to the Provincial Mobile Group
(PMG), an anti-insurgency combat support force, while 10%
serves the office or headquarters.
Based
on statistics, only 857 police officers can actively perform
outside-office responses instead of the ideal minimum of 1,252,
resulting in a shortage of 395 patrolmen.
Damalerio
described the peace and order situation here as "grim
and desperate" since even the hospitals and pension houses
were recent targets of armed robberies.
Meanwhile,
the city council may formally endorse Deputy Director-General
Avelino Razon, Jr. as the next PNP chief in the country vice
Director-General Oscar Calderon who will retire in October.
A
pending resolution crafted by Veloso and presented by Councilor
Mariquit Oppus in last Wednesday's session of the city council
says the number one contender to the top PNP post has been
admired for his "remarkable achievements, exemplary performances
and dedication to duty and country."
Razon,
currently the National Capital Region police chief, had served
as PNP deputy chief for administration.
Served
separate two terms as police director in Central and Western
Visayas, Razon is a Philippine Military Academy Class '74
alumnus.
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