Criminals Rampaging in Dagupan City?

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Geez, my Monday’s scoop with former congressman Mark Cojuangco goes crazy in my blog as thousands of readers all over the globe click it.

 Recently, I bumped with former Speaker Joe de Venecia  at the turned over ceremony of health care package at the Regional Medical Center and got his take on the gubernatorial declaration of the son of business tycoon Danding Cojuangco.

 Would de Venecia’s pronouncement ricochet again in my blog? Subaybayan ang P’nan Biggest Blog that you can accessed at http://wwwmortzcortigoza.blogspot.com/2014/02/cojuangco-declares-gubernatorial.html.

The former 5 times Speaker supported Governor Espino’s rival Hernani Braganza in the last gubernatorial poll. Rumors permeate the air too that Espino has a moist eye for the congressional seat in the district reigns by the de Venecias since time immemorial.

Incase this happen this would be a battle royal as everybody from the media to the voters would be financially happy.

Police checkpoint in Dagupan City

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Are criminals in Dagupan City have their murder binges nowadays at the expense of the Philippine National Police’s competence as painted by media reports?

A police source disagreed.
 He cited to me that compared to last year and this year, murder incidents in the city were the same in the January and February period.

“There were four murder incidents in the city. During the same period this year 2014, records show four shooting incidents where two were killed while two were injured.
He said that in the same month period there were five incidents of robbery in 2013, seven of the same crime in 2014.

When I asked him about the acrimony in the media about the spate of murders in the Bangus City, he opined that during the stint of former Mayor Benjie S. Lim these whining, bellyaching, and bitching media men were mum since they were allied with the former mayor.

 He said since the mayor now is Benjie’s bitter nemesis Mayor Belen Fernandez, these media men pounced on her on every crime that was committed in the city.

Here are the following measures the police are doing in the City to mitigate if not eliminate criminality:

1) Focused Police Operations
He said that this year, four members of target listed notorious gun for hire/ robbery/ akyat bahay personalities were neutralized in the city. Two were killed in a firefight while two met their untimely demise in the hands of unknown gunmen.

2) Crime Prevention Efforts
On top of Patrol 101, this effort is simultaneous on-the-spot checks (OPLAN SITA) on suspicious motorcycles, vehicles, and persons. “These are being done by all Dagupan police units at a pre-arranged schedule that varies periodically.

3) Outer Ring Security

 Boundaries with selected towns were beefed up by augmentation forces from PPSC  to serve as a deterrence from criminals entering the city. “This was done even before 2014 This started in the 3rd quarter 2013,” he said.

4) Dragnet

Dragnet Simulation Drills by PNP Dagupan City

This is a simulation drills and exercises of police interdiction maneuvers. These are being done daily. This is to continuously audit, assess and hone the city police's capability in LOCKING DOWN the city's exit points in cases where there are hot pursuits.

5) Frequent Random Checkpoints
This is about employment of police volunteers, radio groups, and rider groups to assist the police like communication assistance, information gathering,and as "eye in the barangay".

6) Secret Marshalls

These are policemen in plainclothes who are scattered in crime hotpots purposely to catch criminals who committed malfeasance in flagrante delicto.

7) PULIS C.A.R.T (Community Assistance and Referral Team)

 A police assistance structure designed to maximize police visibility ( high signage) and serve as a hub for rendering police assistance, receiving queries, giving geographical directions and other police services like distribution of police  emergency numbers, police public safety advisory flyers, warnings, etc.

PDEA Busted Big Time Pushers in P'sinan

 Regional Director Adrian Alvarino (Right) explains
the raids of his operatives in different provinces
of Region 1.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) led by Regional Director Adrian Alvarino swoop recently on alleged shabu ( Methamphetamine Hydrochloride) pushers in Dagupan City.

 In an email sent to this blogger/columnist, Alvarino, a member of PMA Class 2001, said that on February 4 at 10:10 pm joint elements of PDEA Region 1 and Dagupan Police Station arrested William Balololong dela Cruz, 62, a Navy Reservist, and Gary Gubatan, 32, jeepney driver both residents of the city because of illegal possession of fourteen (14) pieces of heat sealed transparent plastic sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with estimated weight of 70 grams. 

They were arrested at M.H Del Pilar Street of the city.

According to my source the illegal drugs confiscated from them were worth P300, 000. 

They were sued with a non-bailable crime of sale and conspiracy under Sections 5 and 26, respectively, of the Comprehensive Dangerous Act of 2002.

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