The series of robbery/hold-up incidents in Dumaguete City and other parts of Negros Oriental has sent the public clamoring for additional police visibility on the streets.
Supt. Jovito Atanacio, Dumaguete police chief, however, assured over the weekend that they are exerting extra effort to curb the street crimes that are hounding residents of this city and nearby municipalities.
According to him, some suspected personalities behind the series of robbery/hold-up incidents here have already been identified but he refused to divulge their names.
Atanacio said one of the suspects has, in fact, been charged in court.
The Police Chief admitted that anyone can be a victim of hold-up at random, even him if he were dressed in civilian clothes.
Robbery/hold-up incidents are usually random “at hindi natin mapipigilian” (we have no way of stopping it), and so if a person had such ill motive, he can do it at any time of the day, Atanacio pointed out.
In July and August, the number of robbery/hold-up had spiked, though the police chief did not give specific details.
Supt. Atanacio disclosed that in July, the police had identified three persons of interest but that they were “cleared”.
However, he lamented that one of the victims had refused to file a case against the suspect.
The suspects were from the nearby towns of Sibulan and Bacong and another from Dumaguete.
Supt. Atanacio said he believes that hold-up suspects are engaged in illegal drug use.
The Police Chief lamented that victims usually do not have the interest to file a case against the suspects so there is always the chance the criminal is set free.
Meanwhile, Negros Oriental will soon have additional police personnel as the Philippine National Police Regional Office 7 \ in Region 7 or Central Visayas is set to deploy next week at least one platoon to the province.
Acting PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Edwin Portento on Friday disclosed that a platoon from the Regional Public Safety Battalion will be assigned in Negros Oriental to augment the current police force here.
PRO-7 Regional Director Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino will be personally turning over the RPSB-7 platoon, comprising 25 personnel with one officer, during the regular Monday morning flag-raising activity on Oct. 2 at the Negros Oriental PNP Provincial Office in Agan-an, Sibulan.
During his visit here, Chief Supt. Espino will be meeting with the different police chiefs and other unit heads and personnel of the NORPPO, said Portento.
A command conference is also set on the same day.
The PRO-7 regional director is also scheduled to lead in the blessing and inauguration of the new police station of Valencia town, about 15 minutes drive west of this capital city.
Asked about the assignment of the new police personnel from RPSB-7, Sr. Supt. Portento said this has yet to be determined.
The two other RPSB companies that were previously deployed in Negros Oriental by the now-defunct Negros Island Region, are still retained in the Province, he added.
This is the first time for Chief Supt. Espino to visit the NORPPO after the Negros Island Region was dissolved and Negros Oriental was returned to Region 7 while Negros Occidental to Region 6. (Judy Flores Partlow/PNA)
