The newly-installed officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental assured the public that the provincial police force will take strong action to fully enforce local laws and ordinances.
Speaking in a Kapihan forum recently, PNP Acting Provincial Director P/Col. Rizalito Gapas ordered all chiefs of police to enforce the law, no matter what.
“Kung may haharang dyan, kasuhan din basta’t tama ang ginagawa natin. Nag- eenforce tayo ng batas na may pag galang. Nag- eenforce tayo ng batas at ordinansa na may respeto sa mga karapatan ng ating mga kababayan, then we are doing good. (If anyone gets in the way, then we also file a case against that person, as long as we are doing the right thing. We enforce laws with due respect. If we enforce laws and ordinances with due respect to the rights of our fellowmen, then we are doing good),” Gapas said.
He disclosed this is the thrust they are pursuing, noting how laws and ordinances are not strictly enforced here based on his observation in his first week in the Province.
He emphasized that this is not good for the people of Negros Oriental.
The issue also came out during his meeting with some local chief executives of the Province.
“If you have an impression that laws are not being enforced, ibig sabihin non ay nagfe-fiesta ang mga kriminal. The only way for us to maintain order and have peace is mag-enforce ng mga batas. These laws are there to ensure our safety (If you have the impression that laws are not being enforced, it means the criminals are having a heyday. The only way for us to maintain order and to have peace is to enforce the laws),” Gapas said.
He added hat they will adjust the police patrol plan wherein every police officer will be given a task to do during their deployment in the field.
In Dumaguete, police officers will be instructed to enforce traffic laws during the early hours of the day.
Afterwards, they will directed to enforce ordinances banning school children inside computer shops during class hours.
At midday, law enforcers will enforce the city’s plastic ordinance in the market.
By the afternoon, police officers will enforce the City’s anti-smoking ordinance and by the evening they will enforce the ordinance involving noise pollution or curfew ordinance.
“Iyon ang gagawin natin adjustment to make sure na ang pulis natin, kahit gaano siya ka konti, ay nagtratrabaho. (Those are the adjustments we will implement to make sure that our police force, though small in number, are working),” said Gapas .
The Acting Provincial Director appealed to local officials not to interfere in their duty to enforce the law.
“Kapag pinigilan niyo ang ating kapulisan sa pagpapatupad ng batas sa pamamagitan ng pagpili kung sino ang i-eenforce, saan, o sino hindi, nakakasira yan sa moral ng ating kapulisan. Ang purpose niya is mag-enforce ng batas, at kapag hindi niya nagawa iyon, then he is not protecting common welfare (When you stop the police from implementing the law by choosing on whom to enforce, where, and who to let go, it diminishes the morale of our police. The purpose of the police is to enforce the law, and if he is not able to do that, then he is not protecting the common welfare),” he said.
The Kapihan forum focused on the government’s campaign on crime prevention in line with the observance of the 2th National Crime Prevention Week held every first week of September.
Gapas emphasized that the strict implementation and enforcement of laws and ordinances would reduce the opportunity to do crime and give an impression that criminals can be easily caught.
“That’s the only way na tayo ay makaka-reach ng mind ng tao na dito sa Dumaguete ay mahirap gumawa ng krimen dahil madali kang mahuli (That’s the only way we can impress upon the minds of the people that here in Dumaguete, it’s difficult to commit crimes because you can easily get caught),” Gapas said. (ral /PIA7)
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