Quezon City Police District wants village officials to check new tenants' backgrounds

MANILA, Philippines - With criminals often posing as tenants to rent houses that sit beside business establishments, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) is considering tapping village officials to profile new tenants in their areas.

Chief Inspector Enrico Figueroa, chief of the QCPD’s theft and robbery investigation section, said owners of business establishments will be organized so they would be always on the lookout whenever a new person or group moves in, particularly “if the new tenants are moving in for unknown reasons.”

He said in most cases, the landlords do not check on the background of their new tenants or even ask why they are transferring to the area.

Figueroa said once a shop owner notices there is someone new occupying an adjacent house, he could inform village officials about it. The officials “could then discreetly do a background check on the new residents” and inform the police if they notice anything unusual or suspicious, he said.

Burglars who pose as tenants would then use acetylene torches or crowbars to create a hole in the wall between the house and the shop, steal money or valuable equipment, then abandon the house they rented, Figueroa said.

Asked whether the move would violate the tenants’ privacy, Figueroa said those who do not have links with criminals or any illegal activities should not have any worries. He added that it would be for the general safety of the community.             – Reinir Padua