Aglipay releases additional budget for drive vs criminality

Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay released yesterday an additional P5,000 for the five police districts to rid the metropolis of jeepney, bus and taxi robbers.

The small amount will be used by "Oplan Sekreta" operatives as transportation fare as they ply robbery-prone areas.

"We should intensify our efforts to get these petty criminals. And I hope that the small budget would go a long way," Aglipay told The Star. Aglipay’s reaction came after a grenade blast in Marikina City Friday which resulted in the wounding of six people who were riding a tricycle.

Initial investigation showed that robbers on board a speeding passenger jeepney lobbed the grenade at the passing tricycle apparently to distract attention away from them. Two suspects, Jessie Sesbrano, 24, a jeepney driver and Roel de Asis, 27, are presently being grilled by men of Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., Marikina City police chief.

Aglipay said, henceforth, plainclothes policemen would board buses, jeepneys and FX taxis along busy streets and other robbery-prone areas of Metro Manila to detect the presence of armed robbers.

The policemen, armed with short firearms, were authorized to shoot robbers who attacked them. "They should only react to defend themselves," said Aglipay referring to members of Oplan Sekreta. — Non Alquitran