PNP to be more alert once GCQ is in effect

May 12, 2020

As crime rates in areas under the enhanced community quarantine showed improvement, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Tuesday said they will be more alert once the general community quarantine ( GCQ) is implemented.

For the past 55 days, PNP chief  General Archie Francisco Gamboa said the crime trend has been encouraging as far as the overall crime situation is concerned.

“We are seeing significantly fewer index crimes among the eight crime categories that are the focus of police operations,” Gamboa said.

He said the opportunity for criminal to commit crimes decline during the ECQ as police visibility through checkpoints are implemented.

“With the advent of GCQ we will be more alert because... the protocols will be lenient and they (criminals) will have more chance or opportunity to commit crimes,” the PNP chief said.

On a nationwide scale, Gamboa said the eight focus crimes dipped by 61 percent from 8,284 incidents during the pre-ECQ period from January to March, down to 3,220 incidents under ECQ.

“This crime trend is more noticeable in Luzon that posted a 66 percent drop, while Visayas and Mindanao recorded 58 percent and 51 percent rates of decline, respectively,” he said.

“As crime data reveals, the traditional crime landscape has drastically shifted to non-index crime incidents during the ECQ period with more reported criminal activity with the use of access devices and cyberspace to commit fraud, estafa, extortion, trafficking in persons, child abuse; and circulation of disinformation and fake news,” he added.

For illegal drugs, Gamboa said from March 15 to April 30, a total of 6, 824 suspects were arrested.

Bulk of arrests came from the National Capital Region with 2, 067 followed by Calabarzon at 1, 663. Central Luzon and Central Visayas recorded for more than 900 arrest.

“We were able to report 4,269 cases… so in period of one and half months, our accomplishment is good and it’s not far from when there is no ECQ,” he said.

Of the 4, 269 cases, sixty-four were still under their investigation; 2, 288 are with the Prosecutors Office for resolution and 1, 917 were filed in court.

Meanwhile, Police Major General Emmanuel Luis Licup, PNP Director for Operations, said quarantine control points or checkpoints will remain in the areas under GCQ.

“Maybe it will random due to lack of manpower but checkpoints will continue,” he said.

Licup said the additional security measure they will implement is deploying police personnel at establishments allowed to operate to ensure that they are following the health protocols, especially in malls.

On how residents will travel under ECQ and GCQ, Gamboa said the Interagency Task Force has yet to release guidelines.

After May 15, only the National Capital Region, Laguna province and Cebu City will be placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine until May 31 due to high cases of coronavirus disease while other areas in the country will be either under GCQ or no longer be under community quarantine.  Ella Dionisio/DMS