Gov’t vows end to crime upsurge

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang vowed yesterday to put an end to the spate of criminal activities in the country, saying the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies have been tasked to intensify anti-crime efforts.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Cabinet security cluster has in fact met with the Chinese-Filipino community who raised concern over the sudden rise of kidnap-for-ransom cases.

“The overall thrust of the meeting is to address the concern of the Filipino-Chinese community and other civil society groups, that these incidents or these crimes must be stopped immediately and that is what the PNP is working on,” he related.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II had directed PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to increase police visibility in communities.

“The PNP is exerting all efforts to crack down on the criminal elements behind these (kidnap) cases,” Coloma said.

He also clarified that Purisima still enjoys the trust and confidence of President Aquino.

Coloma also reported a slight increase in kidnap for ransom cases this year.

The PNP reported that kidnap for ransom cases as of August this year rose slightly to 38 nationwide, from 31 cases recorded during the same period last year.

The South Korean embassy in Manila welcomed the arrest of suspects in the kidnap-slay of Korean student Lee Ji Won last March.

The embassy expressed appreciation to the PNP for the arrest last Aug. 29 of the suspects.

The 21-year-old Lee was riding a taxi when she was abducted and murdered by suspects that included the taxi driver, which crime the embassy described as brutal and senseless, and had rattled the Korean community in the Philippines.

The embassy said it is also looking forward to the eventual arrest of the suspects in the case of Bae Minju, a Korean businessman, who was killed in a carjacking incident last July 27.

Bae’s wife was kidnapped but later released unharmed, and the family driver was arrested for possible involvement in the crime.

This is the ninth documented crime-related death of a Korean in the Philippines since January this year.

With one of the suspects, the family driver, already in police custody, the embassy said it is expected that the co-conspirators will soon be apprehended and brought to justice.

For its part, the United Korean Community Association in the Philippines (UKCA) has been raising funds to support the investigation efforts of the PNP in relation to crimes committed against Korean nationals here.

PNP assures foreigners

Despite the perception of rising crime rate especially in Metro Manila, the PNP assured foreign investors that it is safe to do business in the country.

PNP chief Purisima said they have been fortifying security measures, coupled with strategic deployment of policemen and review and assessment of crime prone areas.

Purisima said the current operational thrusts of the PNP are focused on creating an atmosphere of industrial peace conducive for economic growth and job generation.

“We urge multinational business leaders to promote stronger ties and build more bridges of cooperation towards a truly progressive and peaceful Philippines,” Purisima told members of the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) in a meeting at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The JFC comprises some 2,000 business entities operating in the Philippines that are affiliated with the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese and Korean Chambers of Commerce, including the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. (PAMURI).

The JFC launched in 2010 its major advocacy Arangkada Philippines to increase investment and employment as contained in its main policy document “Arangkada Philippines 2010: A Business Perspective.”

During the meeting, Purisima cited the role of the JFC in improving the Philippine economy, what with the consistent positive assessments that include the recent jumping of the country by seven notches in the World Economic Forum ranking.

“I hope that the PNP partnership with the JFC will eventually translate to better and more meaningful cooperation among our institutions leading to an even more vibrant and robust economy,” said Purisima.

Present during the meeting were Ian Porter, Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines; Edward Eun-Gap Chang, Korean Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines; John Forbes, American Chamber; Robert Sears, External Affairs, American Chamber; Hubert d’ Aboville, European Chamber of Commerce; Martial Beck, European Chamber; Nobuo Fujii, Japanese Chamber of Commerce in the Phils.; and Simoun Ung, representing the American Chamber (AmCham).

Roxas also instructed Deputy Director Leonardo Espina, PNP deputy chief for operations, to study the possibility of seeking the assistance of civic groups like Kabalikat, Barangay Patrol, Liga ng mga Barangay and other community organizations as force multipliers against criminality.

“Crimes like kidnapping, carnapping and theft and robbery usually start while criminals conduct surveillance on their targets,” said Roxas.

Roxas also encouraged the PNP to coordinate with schools and universities on the possibility of asking students to help promote peace and order in the community.

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara is pushing for immediate passage of a bill that would put in place tighter security in school campuses nationwide amid reports of resurging kidnapping incidents in the metropolis.

Angara filed Senate Bill 197 or the Campus Safety Act that seeks to establish a Crime Prevention Committee (CPC) in all colleges and universities tasked to formulate policies and strategies that will help protect students from threats. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Pia Lee-Brago, Christina Mendez