W. Visayas top cop sacked for underreporting crime

MANILA, Philippines - The head of the Western Visayas regional police office was relieved from his post after 30 of his police commanders were allegedly found to have underreported the crime statistics in their areas of responsibility.

Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. was relieved from the Western Visayas police and was transferred to the office of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima starting yesterday.

“I think this is one of the effects of crime reporting. Pending investigation, he was moved out,” said Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, spokesperson for the PNP. 

Last November, 30 police officials including a provincial director in Western Visayas were relieved after they were found to have altered the crime statistics. 

Purisima had ordered the relief of Senior Superintendent Pedroto Escrilla, Aklan police provincial director, and 12 chiefs of Western Visayas police for allegedly violating the policy on crime reporting as espoused by the Serbisyong Makatotohanan of the PNP.

“I have emphasized time and again that the basis of our actions in the higher headquarters are the inputs from the lower unit. It is imperative that we get the accurate data, statistics and information so we can act accordingly,” Purisima said.

Purisima asked Cruz to explain why the PNP directive on accurate crime reporting has not been complied with.

 Sindac said the underreporting of crime statistics was discovered after an audit by the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management from Sept. 9 to 20, involving actual validation and inspection of blotters of 27 police stations.

The DIDM found out that at least 6,800 crime incidents or 41.6 percent of the cases were not reported by the Police Regional Office 6 to the DIDM.