PNP to release ‘OB’ of top criminals

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will finalize next month an updated list of criminal groups or "order of battle" for the nation’s police force to tackle as part of its crackdown on a reported resurgence of crime.

"We have been doing a workshop and we are set to come up with an updated order of battle in the first week of September," PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao said.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes had earlier ordered the PNP to take steps to prevent a possible upsurge of crime following a recent bomb attack in Zamboanga City and the kidnapping of a boy in Manila.

Reyes gave Lomibao a December deadline to arrest the downtrend in the country’s peace and order situation.

Officials had earlier warned that criminals and terrorists might take advantage of the political crisis rocking President Arroyo, who is facing opposition accusations of electoral fraud in last year’s presidential election.

In line with Reyes’ order, Lomibao has directed police chiefs to step up crime-prevention measures with increased patrols, police checkpoints and a travel ban on vehicles without license plates.

The updated order of battle will include posting pictures of the country’s most wanted criminals, a tack that worked well in 2003 when Reyes headed the government campaign against kidnapping-for-ransom as chief of the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force.

A number of kidnap gangs were dismantled with help from tipsters who provided leads to the police after seeing the kidnap suspects’ wanted posters.

In 2004, Mrs. Arroyo acknowledged that kidnappings were scaring off potential investors and formed the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force to go after the criminal gangs.

Under pressure from the Chinese-Filipino community, Mrs. Arroyo in December 2003 lifted a year-long moratorium on executions in a bid to reverse a rising crime wave.

Her decision, however, drew criticism from anti-death penalty advocates, including the influential Roman Catholic Church, which accused her of playing to the gallery.

Apart from the crime gangs that prey on businessmen in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, government forces are also going after the Abu Sayyaf.

The Abu Sayyaf is a small group of al-Qaeda-linked Islamic militants responsible for a string of kidnappings of foreigners in Mindanao, including three Americans in 2001. Two of the Americans were killed.

Washington considers the Abu Sayyaf to be a terrorist organization.

Aside from stepping up crime-prevention measures, the PNP has been trying to clean up its poor public image, as it is considered to be one of the most corrupt government agencies.

Meanwhile, an annual search for the country’s most outstanding police officers was kicked off yesterday.

"With this program, we can find more good policemen than bad. There are policemen who could be considered models of the community amid the… police-bashing," Lomibao said.

The annual Metrobank Foundation Search for the Country’s Outstanding Policemen is sponsored by Metrobank Foundation and the Rotary Club of New Manila East.