250 rookie cops deployed to SPD

Some 250 rookie policemen have been deployed to the severely undermanned Southern Police District (SPD) to step up its visibility campaign in busy areas this Yuletide season.

SPD director Chief Superintendent Jose Guttierez said the 250-personnel reinforcement is part of the 1,000 new police graduates who are to be distributed in the five police districts of the metro-polis. The SPD earlier decided to dispatch most policemen assigned to desk jobs to the field especially during rush hour periods.

Meanwhile, to secure overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returning in droves this Christmas, the Pasay City police deployed more of its men along main thoroughfares going out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Pasay police chief Superintendent Eduardo dela Cerna though would not reveal the exact number of uniformed policemen who would be dispersed in the area but assured their sufficient visibility to deter criminal groups.

"This is a seasonal security measure we are providing because of experiences in the past where criminal elements target OFWs knowing they are carrying lots of money for their families," said Guttierez.

Dela Cerna identified the city’s three main northbound roads leading out of as NAIA as EDSA, Tramo, and Roxas Boulevard, Southbound roads of the airport are under Parañaque.

Dela Cerna said the policemen would be combined elements of the city’s police mobile patrol, motorcycle division, and foot patrol operatives.

December, especially the days nearing Christmas, is usually marked by an increase in the number of arriving Filipino workers who often fall victim to holdup men.

The Pasay City police chief said the NAIA administration is also undertaking measures to ensure that taxi cab drivers conveying arriving OFWs are not in collusion with criminals. "We will leave it to NAIA to screen the taxi cabs, I think they are very strict on that," said Dela Cerna. – Jose Aravilla