How do you get clues to solve tough crimes? Talk to a criminal!
This is the advice of Chief Superintendent Alex Paul Monteagudo, outgoing head of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) of the Philippine National Police to the 62 newly-trained police investigators who graduated Friday at Camp Francisco Fernandez in Agan-an, Sibulan.
Monteagudo said he is requiring the graduates to visit jails when crimes are committed because vital information can be found inside the jails by befriending suspects of similar incidents.
He said a trained investigator should not wait for the victims to bring him or her evidences or witnesses.
Monteagudo encouraged the graduates to do networking and consult with each other when crimes are committed in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Crimes can never be totally prevented and the best deterrent is the certainty of arrest and conviction of suspects, he said.
Monteagudo, a cavalier awardee, stressed that the arrest and conviction of suspects can only be achieved if police investigators are armed with the right skills in identifying and locating the suspects and gathering evidences for prosecution.
Of the Philippines’ more than 7,000 police investigators, more than 80 percent of them are already trained in the PNP’s efforts to create a pool of investigators and that it intends to continue with the training program for the remaining 20 percent.
PO2 Rollyben Paypa of the Manjuyod police station received the leadership award as president of the 62 graduates, while awards of excellence were given to PO2 Ruel Aguilar, SPO1 Monico Cubalan, Jr., PO2 Hazel Corsame, PO2 Candice Jean Cardenas and PO2 Elena Catalan.
The one-month criminal investigation course was initiated by former PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Rey Lawas, whose stint in Negros Oriental was cut short by one year as he was transferred to the PNP Region 7 Office as Chief Intelligence Officer (R-2) of the Regional Intelligence Division. (JFP/Juancho Gallarde/PNA)