Metro-wide curfew?

To enable the Philippine National Police (PNP) to comply with President Arroyo’s directive for the reduction of street crime incidents by 20 percent, Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco has urged the passage of local ordinances to impose a curfew on minors all over Metro Manila.

Velasco told The STAR yesterday he would strongly lobby the various Metro Manila legislative councils to follow the lead of the city governments of Manila and Marikina, which passed ordinances and imposed curfews on minors in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Since the imposition of ordinances in Manila and Marikina, the Metro police chief said, street crimes in the said areas have been at their lowest.

"These (curfew ordinances) have been a big help in lowering street crimes because of its pre-emptive effects. Minors who are out on the streets late at night are either the victims or recruited by syndicates to become criminals," he pointed out.

"We will encourage the local Sanggunian to pass curfew ordinances in their respective areas to control unnecessary movements by the youth," he said.

Velasco said the PNP is determined to meet the 20 percent reduction target in street crimes set by the President during a Philippine National Police command conference at Malacañang last Feb. 20.

During the command conference, the President called the attention of the PNP leadership on the mounting complaints of the public on the rising cases of crime from cell phone snatching to bank robberies and homicide.

Mrs. Arroyo said she will check on the progress of the latest peace and order drive when she convenes the PNP anew in her next scheduled command conference on March 6.