PD Admits Weak Cops-Civs Ratio

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN, Pangasinan – The top police honcho of the huge province acknowledged the complaint of this town’s mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno the adverse ratio of the police to the population here.

PD AND LADY MAYOR. Pangasinan Police Provincial Office Director Col. Jeff Fanged (left) and Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno at the sideline of the fiesta celebration of the thriving town.

“Yes lahat kulang talaga, although na meet natin ang ratio natin iyong ratio natin is 1 to 500 malayo pa rin 1 is to 900 tayo. So ang ginagawa natin may dina-downloaded iyong region nagbi-base tayo doon sa crime incidents doon natin nilalagay,” said by Pangasinan Police Provincial Office Director Col. Jeff Fanged.

When three murders ensued here from December 2, 2023 to January 4, 2024, Mayor Parayno cited the weak ratio of the law enforcers to the number of the population here.

Since last year, Mayor Parayno has been calling the police's hierarchy to add more law enforcers in the town even before the grisly murder of Poblacion Barangay Chairwoman Melinda “Tonet” Morillo who was shot to death while traversing the highway in Barangay Tebag here in December 7, 2023. 

The same request was reiterated by Parayno to Lt. Col. Roldan Cabatan, this town’s chief of police, after Brgy. Kagawad Romeo Abrazaldo del Campo of Barangay Guilig and Lina Biala Abrio of Brgy. Bantayan have been murdered in January 2, 2024 and January 4, 2024, respectively.

Parayno exhorted the law enforcers to strengthen the police visibility in every village of the 30 barangays here and the incessant police patrol with the barangay security forces.

To buttress the visibility, the mayor bought two motorcycles and will buy a car to be used for roving the town to deter the criminals to pounce on hapless residents here.

Last year Parayno procured some motorcycles for the use of the same law enforcers.

 The two alleged killers of Abrio and del Campo have been arrested by the police.

This town has a population of 113,185 (2022 Census).

Meanwhile, Provincial Director Fanged said that rape cases in 2023 in the province compared to its preceding year have declined significantly from 400 cases to only 250 cases.

“Rape natin bumaba na tayo ng 40% na. Dati whole year 400 plus ngayon 250 plus na lang”.