The chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Director Oscar Albayalde, on Thursday reported gains in their anti-criminality campaign as shown by significant drops in crimes against persons and properties.
Albayalde called the NCRPO’s achievement “truly remarkable” during his address at the traditional New Year’s call made on him by police officials in Metro Manila, including the directors of the five police districts in the capital region.
According to him, the NCRPO exceeded its record of arrests last year, with the crime against persons decreasing by 13.87 percent, from 8,841 to 7,305; and crime against properties by 20.58 percent, from 13, 200 to 10,483.
“Crime Clearance Efficiency [CCE] increased by 4.27 percent, from 82.88 percent to 86.42 percent, as compared to the accomplishments of year 2016,” Albayalde said.
The NCRPO chief noted that even their eight focused crimes also posted a significant decrease compared with 2016.
“A total of 17.96-percent decrease in crime volume was recorded: murder decreased by 23.38 percent, from 1,976 to 1,514; homicide by 26.69 percent, from 577 to 423 incidents; physical injury decreased by 7.62 percent, from 4,830 to 4,462; and rape decreased by 17.49 percent, from 1,098 to 906 incidents,” he said.
He added that other cases have decreased, including robbery by 16.04 percent, from 3,603 incidents to 3,025; theft by 19.92 percent, from 8,059 to 6,454 incidents; carnapping by 48.90 percent, from 317 to 162 incidents, and motorcycle theft by 31.04 percent, from 1,221 to 842 incidents.
“The continuous decrease of these eight focused crimes is attributed to the NCRPO’s intensified implementation of Project Double Barrel Alpha, Project Double Barrel Reloaded and the intensified implementation of our Enhanced Managing Police Operations,” Albayalde said.
He noted that even the campaign of the NCRPO against illegal drugs has posted notable results, as at least 17,486 drug offenders were arrested, while another 29,087 have voluntarily surrendered to the police.
“We have seized a total of more or less 755 kilograms of shabu, 34.6 kilograms of marijuana [and] 211 ecstacy tablets, which collectively amounted to more than P3.77 billion,” he said.
In the war against gambling, the NCRPO has conducted 2,759 police operations that resulted in the arrest of 8,093 offenders and in the filing of 2,836 cases and confiscation of P1,191,385.25 bet money.
Albayalde said the NCRPO and its five police districts did not only took to heart their mandate as “protector of the people,” but even engaged all “law and order” stakeholders down to the lowest level, including in the form of community projects.
“We have conducted and supported 970 medical and dental outreach programs; 392 bloodletting; 1,336 support to community projects; 7,290 livelihood and skills-development projects. We also conducted 39,937 Pulong-Pulong/Dialogues participated in by 1,201,842 persons,” he said.
In the area of crime prevention, the NCRPO has conducted 64,502 check points; 263,709 Oplan Bakal Sita; 977,074 beat patrol; 478,011 mobile patrol; 70,379 Oplan Galugad; and 21,986 Oplan Katok.
“As a result, a total of 44,452 persons with standing warrants and in flagrante delicto were arrested; 295,194 persons were cited and invited in violation of different city/municipal ordinances; 6,632 warrants of arrest were served; and 1,679 firearms, 548 bladed weapons and 13 explosives were confiscated,” Albayalde said.
“For internal security operations and counterterrorism efforts, we conducted a total of 98,138 target-hardening measures, implemented 114,974 border-control security measures and conducted 25,880 social investigations. We have also arrested a total of 11 members of the Local terrorist groups that include seven members of Maute Group and four members of the Abu Sayyaf Group,” he added.
In its reward system, the NCRPO issued 129,990 different awards to deserving personnel and promoted 2,307 Police Commissioned Officers, Police Non-Commissioned Officer and 46 Non-Uniformed Personnel, while 724 admin cases were filed against 1,198 personnel.
As a result, 158 personnel were dismissed from the service; 38 were demoted; 625 were suspended and nine others were reprimanded.
“For disciplinary sanctions, the district directors have implemented disciplinary sanctions to 1,302 who were assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, 334 were reassigned outside NCRPO; 147 were subjected to Reorientation Program; and 1,094 Police Officers 1 were subjected to Orientation Program,” he said.
“I also acknowledge that some of our members have committed shortcomings but, nevertheless, we never tolerate their wrongdoings, rather, we consider these as eye-openers and lessons learned to further cleanse our ranks and improve the quality of service that we render to the public. I assure you that our intensive disciplinary training and internal cleansing programs will continue. Let me remind you again that NCRPO has no place for bad eggs,” Albayalde said.