Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, Police Regional Office 12 spokesperson. (File photo courtesy of PRO-12)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The chief of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 12 (Soccsksargen) has ordered the region’s local police chiefs to put an end to the rising cases of gun-related killings and other crimes in their areas of responsibility or face relief.
Brig. Gen. Alfred Corpus issued the directive in the wake of the reported spike in cases of unresolved killings, mostly perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects, in this city and other key areas in the region since last year.
Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, PRO-12 spokesperson, said Thursday the region’s top police official has expressed disappointment over the failure of some chiefs of police to effectively address the problem.
Since Corpus assumed as regional police director in September last year, Capellan said a total of 202 shooting incidents were already recorded in the area.
“All unit commanders were ordered to strengthen their crime prevention strategies and measures, and improve crime solution efforts,” he said in an interview.
In a command conference early this week, Capellan said the municipalities of Matalam in North Cotabato and Polomolok in South Cotabato were cited as among the areas of concern.
Among the major incidents recorded in Polomolok were the still-unresolved murders of former South Cotabato board member Vicente Yungco Jr. last November and Barangay Lapu chairman Abdula Nilong on New Year’s Eve.
Capellan said Corpus has directed local police units to increase police visibility in various strategic areas to prevent the occurrence of criminal activities.
He also cited the conduct of intensified intelligence monitoring, security patrols, and checkpoint operations.
To counter the movement of motorcycle-riding criminals, he said Corpus ordered “vigorous operations” against “colorum” or unregistered motorcycles.
“Unit commanders who will fail to implement these directives or post minimal accomplishments will be subjected to disciplinary action,” he added. (PNA)
