Marikina reports zero street crime

The Marikina City police yesterday reported yesterday zero street crime in two areas where a quarantine operation against drug pushers and users was implemented last week in Barangay Tumana.

In his report to Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco, Marikina City police chief Senior Supt. Felipe Rojas Jr., said not a single case of robbery-hold-up on passenger jeepneys and tricycles was recorded in the police blotter since the launching last Thursday of the quarantine operation in Mais and Singkamas streets in BarangayTumana.

"In the past, we recorded a robbery-hold-up case every other day in that place but as of yesterday our blotter was clean of such case," said Rojas in an interview. "It means that our quarantine operation is bearing fruit."

Under the quarantine set-up, checkpoints are erected in all entry and exit points of the street and is operational on a 24-hour basis. Rojas explained that all persons visiting residents in the said area are required to log their names and show their identification cards. Nobody will be allowed to loiter in the area, especially visitors.

Marikina City Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando ordered the re-imposition of the quarantine operations in the two streets amid reports that it topped the list of havens of drug peddlers in the jurisdiction of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

Velasco is closely monitoring the "experiment" as he vowed to sell the idea to other local government officials once it is proven effective not only in curbing illegal drugs but crime incidents as well.