Drop in Marikina crime rate attributed to quarantine operations

The Marikina police chief said yesterday that the quarantine operations implemented in a barangay in Marikina City has led to the decrease in the city’s crime rate by 60 percent.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr. said that the re-implementation of the quarantine operations last month prompted at least two big-time drug pushers and seven small-time drug peddlers to vacate their homes in Barangay Concepcion Uno.

In the past, Rojas said his stations’ police blotter recorded daily at least two pages of crime incidents, such as Akyat-Bahay and robbery hold-ups in FX taxis, passenger jeepneys and tricycles.

But with the quarantine operations in place, he said the crime incidents dramatically dropped with the police blotter now mostly filled-up with complaints of neighborhood quarrels.

"The general effect of the quarantine is that we have now a peaceful and orderly city," said Rojas in an interview. But he cautioned that the local police force should not lower its guard against criminality because of the program’s initial success.

The quarantine program was ordered re-implemented by Marikina City Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando because of its proven success during the term of her husband Bayani Fernando, now chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Under the set-up, all visitors in Mais and Singkamas Streets in Barangay Concepcion Uno are required to register before they can enter the area. They are issued ID cards and are barred from loitering in the area.

According to Rojas, while big-time and small-time drug peddlers are vacationing in the provinces, drug addicts in the area are now getting their shabu supply from neighboring San Mateo in Rizal province.

"I decided to put up a checkpoint in Barangay Nangka located at the boundary of San Mateo town just to check scooter and tricycle-riders for possession of illegal drugs," said Rojas.

Mayor Fernando has shown confidence on Rojas as she brings the police chief to her consultation meetings with barangay officials every Saturday to answer all questions related to illegal drugs.

Rojas is confident that the peace and order situation in the city would improve further with the activation of some 70 junior police, which would serve as his "force multiplier."

"We achieved much in our campaign against criminality with what we have at our disposal. The arrival of the junior police would surely make a big difference," Rojas said.