NEWS: Mayor Cee O: “No cause for alarm”

On rise of killings in Tagum

oct 14

Tagum Mayor Rey Chiong Uy in a report of DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum early morning yesterday said that the city’s statistics on killings reported by the police “is no cause for alarm” adding that that those “salvaged” or killed were bad elements in the society, “mga kawatan, holdupper, snatcher, akyat bahay… so walay dapat ikaalarma.”

Asked in an exclusive field interview the other day by Ruel Dagsangan, anchor of Radyo Ukay’s early morning newscast program, the mayor added that the city in fact had been banking on its good peace and order situation in receiving continuing confidence from people for its continuing development.

In the same Radyo Ukay report, Vice Mayor Allan Rellon condemned extrajudicial killings in the city saying that the “root cause of the problem” should be addressed to in an effort of helping the police solve it.

The mayor’s and vice mayor’s statements came close to the heels of provincial police reports on the rise of crimes against persons particularly shooting incidents in the city that accounted the bulk in the reported cases throughout Davao del Norte.

Provincial police director PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon bared a total of 54 shooting incidents from January to October 10 in the city last Friday’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry initiated by Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad, the committee chairman.

The crime statistics included the still unresolved slaying of long-time serving former Mankilam barangay captain and kagawad Noel dela Cruz.

PSSupt. Bianzon however that police has solved 23 crimes and a lot of petty crimes like stabbing, hacking and others and recovered many loose firearms in their Operation Kapkap.

But he also bared on increasing death threats which he said the police has been meeting difficulties in responding to all requests for protection considering the limited number of police personnel.

In that committee hearing, the police director admitted difficulties and loose ends in stemming off the rising crime index in the city primarily owing to the lack of police personnel to secure the high city population even as he said that the province is still generally peaceful.

He called on for active civilian support while asserting that police has all been doing its work to secure the populace.

Also in that hearing, Bianzon downplayed reports on the presence of death squad operating in the city, but he admitted the police is looking into reports on hired killers. PSSupt. also cited various causes and motives in the rise of shooting incidents in the city.

The hearing led to various initial proposals in addressing the problem of criminality which the SP committee had documented.

Boardmember Lagunzad said that extrajudicial killing is a human rights violation and vowed to continue his committee’s probe. He planned to conduct activities with barangay officials to address the problem.

Also present during last Friday’s committee hearing-inquiry held at Lakan’s Place were Boardmembers Jose Recarido Federiso, Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo, and SK federation president Dennis Café, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena Garma, and some members of the family of the slain Dela Cruz who shared their fearful plight to the committee. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma, PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon, Tagum police chief Dario Gunabe, allan rellon, board member larry caminero, boardmember artemio san juan, boardmember ely dacalus, boardmember jose recarido federiso, boardmember salvador royo, boardmember tony lagunzad, mayor rey uy, police supt gunabe, rellon, tagum city crimes rise, tony lagunzad , boardmember tony lagunzad, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena, killings crimes in tagum city, mayor rey chiong uy, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, vice mayor allan rellon

NEWS: PSSupt Bianzon downplays “death squad” but looks on “hired killers”

ct 13

Lagunzad’s HR committee probes on rise of killings in city

Rise of shootings, death threats reported to police

Civilians’ massive support vs. criminality called on

Mayor Uy: “killings no cause for alarm”

Davao del Norte police director Benilito Bianzon has called on

Attending the SP human rights committee hearing-inquiry Friday at Lakan’s Place restobar are (from right): Tagum city chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, Davao del Norte PNP provincial director PSSupt. Benilito Bianzon, Boardmembers Salvador Royo, Ely Dacalus, Antonio Lagunzad (center), and (from left) CIDG-Davao del Norte PSupt. Rowena Garma, and other police officials (Rural Urban News photo)

support of civilians in the fight against rising criminality even as he downplayed reports on the presence of death squad operating in the city.

But he admitted the police is looking into reports on “hired killers” that has put Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad into saying that from reports that reached him they go for a kill at a lowly fee of only P3,000.

With that amount, Lagunzad said “pwede na… seguro sa hirap ng panahon. Lalo na kung ang papatayin ay may record na o kalalabas lang ng kulungan”.

The posh Lakan’s Place stands as a proud venue of the SP’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry on the reported rise of killings in the city last Friday. It is located along the national highway. some 3 kms away going south from the heart of the city. (Rural Urban News photo)

But Boardmember Lagunzad said “di pwede yan, human rights (violation) yan”. during Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry on the reported rise of killings in Tagum City Friday morning at Lakan’s Place restobar.

He added that the provincial officials are watching developments and seeing many angles in the rise of criminality index which the police admitted to be occurring and wanted to stem down particularly in shooting incidents in the city.

As this developed, Mayor Rey Chiong Uy in a report of DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum Monday morning said that the the city’s statistics on killings reported by the police “is no cause of alarm” adding that that those who were killed were bad elements in the society, “mga kawatan, holdupper, snatcher, akyat bahay… so walay dapat ikaalarma.”

He said that the city in fact banks on its good peace and order situation in receiving continuing confidence from people for its continuing development.

In the same Radyo Ukay report, Vice Mayor Allan Rellon condemned extrajudicial killings in the city saying that the “root cause of the problem” should be addressed to in an effort of helping the police solve it.

On the hearing attended by boardmembers who are members of the SP committees on human rights and on peace and order and police and intelligence officers, police provincial director PSSupt. Bianzon bared that from January to October 10, the city has 54 shooting incidents including the still unresolved slaying of long-time serving former Mankilam barangay captain and kagawad Noel dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz, who was back riding on motorcycle, was waylaid morning the other Sunday at Mankilam and was shot to death by still unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen. Dela Cruz driver Albert Abule was left unharmed. As of Friday, the police was facing a blankwall on the suspects and the motive of the killing.

“About 5 percent of the shooting incidents is drug-related,” Bianzon said.

The Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), on the other hand, has only two shooting incidents.

“There is also increasing death threats,” Bianzon said, for which he said the police has been meeting difficulties in responding to all requests for protection considering the limited number of police personnel..

He said that the incapacity of the police is seen in the high ratio of 1 policeman is to 1,373 persons to protect in  the city.

He added that considering this high number of civilians to protect, while the “police has been on 24-hour duty and is doing its best”, chances are still “malulusutan pa rin kami even our checkpoints,” he added. “Give me one battalion of policemen and I’ll assure you for no crime.”

The city police is beefed up by support and mobile units such as reaction forces and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Biazon then called for massive civilians’ support to fight criminality in counterpart to the heightened police visibility that they have been putting up. “The PNP cannot stand alone without the help of the people. The PNP cannot effectively battle criminality without help.”

He said that if the police is given reliable information by the public “on the go agad kami” citing what they had accomplished when they were tipped off on the case where the kidnap and murder suspect fled to Samar from the city and they arrested the suspect there and resolved the case.

The police nonetheless solved 23 crimes against persons from January to September and solved a lot of petty crimes like stabbing, hacking and others and recovered many loose firearms in their Operation Kapkap, the police director bared.

But he said it is in crime against persons where the police finds difficulties in solving, largely owing to lack of witnesses from the public.

Tagum City police chief Dario Gunabe said that “there is a big problem on how the public react” to shooting incidents where witnesses shy out from giving statements to the police like the description of the suspect compared to petty crimes such as robbery and thief where people themselves volunteered to give information or even pursued suspects.

“The police should not be blamed and charged to be doing nothing. The people have the shared obligation to help the police such as when they see crimes happened, they have to give statement to the police,” Gunabe added.

PSSupt. Biazon also cited various causes and motives in the rise of shooting incidents in the city.

He named these as drug-related, involving persons with criminal instincts “na di makatulog kung di makapatay”, cases of killed persons with criminal records such as drug pushers and users, “na meron dyan na kalalabas pa lang pinapatay”, bungling and double-crosses within criminal syndicates, and a host other factors due to conflicts such as relating properties and land, “nag-aawayan sa lupa”.

SP’s peace and order committee chairman Boardmember Jose Recarido Federiso called for support to the full activation of 4,000 barangay tanods in the province.

As to the arming of the barangay tanods, there is however financial and legal constraints to it, police authorities said.

Bianzon also called on public to immediately report police crime occurrences using the advantage of cellphone technology as he had earlier directed all his police chiefs in the province to post in public their hotline cellphone numbers.

Boardmember Lagunzad said that his committee probe would continue and that they would also conduct seminars with barangay officials on this.

Also present during the committee hearing-inquiry were Boardmembers Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo, and SK federation president Dennis Café, and CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma. Some family members of the slain Dela Cruz were also present. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma, boardmember artemio san juan, boardmember ely dacalus, boardmember jose recarido federiso, boardmember salvador royo, davao del norte boardmembers, lakan's place tagum, sk federation president dennis cafe, tagum death squad , lakan's place, PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon, tagum city police chief dario gunabe, tagum death squad, tagum hired killers, tagum killings