SECURITY CHECK Motorcycle-riding related crimes down by 57%
THE crimes related to motorcycle riding dipped by 57 percent during the months long quarantine implementation, LtGen. Guillermo Eleazar reported on Friday.
Based on the data of the Philippine National Police (PNP), 784 motorcycle-riding related crimes were reported from March 17 to October 22 this year compared to the 1,864 cases recorded from Aug. 10, 2019 to March 16, 2020.
Eleazar, commander of the Joint Task Force Covid Shield, explained that the intensified security and health safety measures in the past seven months resulted in the reduction of crimes committed by motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS).
“In the past, motorcycle-riding criminals were a big peace and order headache. But we were able to counter their illegal activities in the past four years especially in the past seven months before the March 17 implementation of the first community quarantine wherein the daily average of MRS-related criminal activities was only eight nationwide,” Eleazar said in a statement.
Eleazar pointed out that the already-reduced MRS-related criminal activities further declined to a national daily average of four during the implementation of community quarantine.
“So, there was really a significant improvement not only on illegal activities of motorcycle-riding suspects but also the peace and order situation nationwide,” Eleazar added.
Mindanao recorded the biggest decline in MRS-related criminal activities in the past 220 days with 193 cases, a 63-percent decline compared to the 515 recorded previously, Eleazar reported.
The Visayas recorded a 60-percent decrease in cases to 189 from 485. Luzon came in last with a 53-percent decline in cases to 402 from 864 cases reported.
In Metro Manila, there was a 45- percent reduction of MRSrelated criminal activities, or from 291 to 160 cases, he added.
A decline was recorded at 76 percent for robbery-related cases from 584 to 143 cases, and a 74-percent decrease was reported for theft, from 227 to 58 cases.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año instructed PNP Chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan to comply with the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to train many policemen on motorcycle-riding.
Moreover, BGen. Alexander Tagum, director of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG), said that a total of 43 personnel of the PNP’s Special Action Force (SAF) had already been trained on tactical motorcycle-riding.
The HPG training program on motorcycle riding would accommodate more SAF personnel with local police forces included, Tagum added.