A veteran solon called on mayors during the induction ceremony of Philippine National Police or PNP’s 45-day training course to avoid using members of the PNP as scapegoats in events that local government failed to protect the security of their community.
Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian, who was invited as guest speaker in the event held at Camp Crame, explained that mayors are primarily responsible and accountable on the matters of peace and order in their locality since they manage the affairs, equipment, and budget of local law enforcers.
Gatchalian, a member of the Regional Advisory Group of the National Capital Region Police Office or NCRPO, added the police force is only a part of enforcing mechanism in keeping peace and order in the local setting.
Other news: Parents, Internet cafe owners should always encourage children to prioritize their studies.
“Pagdating sa peace and order ang may primary responsibility ay ang mayor. Mayors have the power to mobilize. They also have the means to bolster the local police since they can issue much-needed equipment and fund for new crime-fighting technology,” Gatchalian explained.
“Madali kasing ituro ng mayor si chief of police ang may kasalanan kung mayroong hindi maganda sa peace and order; but at the end of the day, si mayor talaga ang namamahala ng mga affairs ng local police at ng buong siyudad,” Gatchalian pointed out.
The NCRPO regional adviser also said that mayors and local police authorities should stop blaming one another and start cooperating to prevent criminal activities.
“Pero kung may pagkukulang minsan ang mga mayor, mayroon din naman siguro ang mga pulis,” Gatchalian said.
“Kaya dapat itigil na ang sisihan sa local level para maraming magawa ang kapulisan at LGU ng magkasama,” he added.
Other news: Advertisers must stop creating false ads
The former three-term mayor of Valenzuela City also lauded PNP for its efforts to boost the skills and capabilities of other members of the police through relevant courses and practices.
One of PNP’s efforts is the 2nd Investigation Officers Basic Course (IOBC), the 45-day training course geared to produce highly competent and analytical Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs).
“Mainam na may mga ganito tayong [investigation] courses na itinuturo dahil magiging mahirap kung limitado ang nalalaman ng mga miyembro ng kapulisan dagdag pa sa parating kakulangan pagdating sa manpower,” Gatchalian said.
The lawmaker also called on the PNP to invest in modern technology, particularly on hand-held gadgets, for crime detection to easily apprehend crooks and stop the growing number of criminal activities.
“Bukod sa mga ganitong courses, maganda rin siguro kung maglalaan ang PNP ng sapat na panahon para pag-aralan ang makabagong teknolohiya para mas mapaigting ang pagpuksa ng tumataas na kriminalidad,” he added. (Tim Alcantara)