The National Capital Region Police Office recently disclosed that the peace and order situation in Metro Manila is currently very manageable.
According to NCRPO spokesperson Col. Luisito Andaya, the Philippine National Police has been recording a continuous downtrend in the index crime within the five districts of the National Capital Region compared to the previous year.
“Right now everything is quiet and peaceful and everything is very manageable,” said Andaya in an exclusive interview with Daily Tribune’s online talk show Straight Talk.
Among these are the lowering of illegal drug-related crimes, including murders and homicides, physical injuries, robberies, rape, carnapping incidents of vehicles and other special complex crimes.
Andaya attributed the positive development in Metro Manila’s current peace and order due to the awareness of the community.
“I think that the coordination between the community and the police officers is doing well,” said Andaya.
He also stressed that the index crime has gone down by about 12.72 percent from 1 January to 1 June — “a very substantial downtrend from the same period last year.”
Andaya added that the NCRPO has initiated the revitalization of barangay police officers which is complementary to the PNP’s five national focus agenda.
“Instead of just deploying our policemen, we are immersing them. It so let’s say, in a six-month program — wherein we immerse the policemen in the barangay in coordination with the local government units,” Andaya said.
Under this scheme, NCRPO identifies certain villages that are heavily populated with exposure to possible increases in crimes. Police operatives are deployed in these identified areas to put a hold on future crimes and to also reduce the number of alcohol-related events.
“We have been receiving positive feedback from the community and of course, the LGU, on this program with most of the residents of these barangays, particularly within Metro Manila have been reporting directly now to the PNP, so we are able to react and respond better,” said Andaya.
The PNP, he added, has expanded the police visibility program, on top of the focus of police checkpoints, to make sure that crime victims are immediately attended to.