Austere Christmas celebrations for Metro cops

Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol called yesterday for austere Christmas party celebrations in his five police districts.

He also banned caroling and solicitation of gifts, which may be taken advantage of by some unscrupulous policemen.

Querol said there is no need for his five district directors to resort to caroling and solicitation for their Christmas party as he will release funds for such a purpose.

"We don’t have to raise funds because there was an allotted cash for the celebration," said Querol.

In the past, policemen would solicit cash from gambling lords and owners of illegal establishments to raise funds for their parties.

"I will support him all the way," said Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, director of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), of Querol’s ban on caroling and solicitation. "Such a practice is often used as an excuse for extortion by unscrupulous policemen."

In his directive to his five police districts, Querol pointed out that their Christmas party celebrations should not be lavish.

He cited that the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) would hold its simple Christmas party today at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City with a simple lunch, bingo socials and giving of gifts to dependents of policemen and non-uniformed personnel.

Radovan said he and his officers would also hold their Christmas party today with an exchange of gifts worth P300 and they, too, would hand out gifts to some 200 dependents of policemen who are below 12 years old.

For his part, Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia said officers of the Southern Police District contributed funds for their party which will also be highlighted by gift-giving to more or less 200 policemen dependents.

Chief Superintendent Oscar Valenzuela, on the other hand, said they have yet to schedule their party but they will definitely hear Mass before sharing simple food.

Tanods to keep peace in Mandaluyong

Meanwhile, the Mandaluyong City police has tapped the services of tanods (watchmen) in its 27 barangays to ensure the safe and orderly celebration of the traditional Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses) and Christmas.

"We are trying to maintain the prevailing peace and order in the city amid threats from criminal syndicates and terrorists," said Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief.

"So we are recruiting the barangay tanods not only to act as our force multipliers but also to guard our policemen against complaints of extortion and other activities."

Velasquez met over the weekend with barangay chairmen and executive officers of barangay tanods to lay down their role in ensuring the safety of residents attending the Simbang Gabi and their surroundings this Christmas season.

Barangay chairmen committed five tanods each to the local police.

The recruitment of barangay tanods for security duty was in consonance with the program of Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes that the "security of the city is not a police and local government task alone but the responsibility of the whole community."

According to Velasquez, the barangay tanods would be deployed to police checkpoints in strategic areas in the city.

"Their advantage is that it would be easier for them to identify criminals and terrorists because they know the residents in their barangays," said the local police chief.

At present, the Mandaluyong City police is maintaining two checkpoints. Six patrol cars were also deployed to guard churches during the dawn Masses.

Velasquez said some 40 police personnel will augment security in shopping malls and commercial centers.

"The program has the approval of Mayor (Neptali) Gonzales," said Velasquez. "The mayor is grateful for the enthusiasm of the tanods in the project. Although they are not paid, they are willing to serve just to maintain security of the city."