DCPO spox assures that crimes are not on the rise
THE DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) allayed fears of lawlessness in the city following some high-profile crimes in recent weeks that caused some Davaoeños to worry for their safety.
In fact, former President Rodrigo Duterte even noted that the “streets are not that safe anymore.”
A week ago, architect Vlanche Marie Bragas was raped and killed in Calinan by unknown perpetrators, prompting the creation of Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) Bragas.
“In terms of safety and security dili dapat mahadlok ang katawahan (people in Davao should not be afraid because the city is safe and secured). Ang whole Davao city, we don’t have direct threats what happened were isolated cases only, and nagkataon na sunod-sunod (it was just coincidental events that happened),” DCPO spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey said in an interview on Sunday.
The DCPO recorded 94 focus crimes in the city from January to April this year, which was down from 167 cases for the same period last year.
The eight focus crimes are murder, homicide, physical injury, rape, theft, robbery, car theft and motorcycle theft.
“It is still low [crimes], ” she said. “[This was because of] Effective and efficient ang conduct of intensified crime prevention activities like police visibility through patrols and implementation of anti-criminality campaign,” Dela Rey said.
For rape, she said they recorded 31 from January to April last year, down from the 57 cases for the same period last year.
But, Former President Duterte in his speech at an event on May 25, said, “There are a lot of heinous crimes committed on helpless citizens. These streets are really not that safe anymore.”
“I heard about those disturbing crimes. One was the rape and slaying of an architect, and the other one, it really disturbs me a lot,” he said.
“‘Yung bata [an infant] four-month-old baby. Binuhusan ng boiling water ng tatay (was poured with boiling water by his father),” he added.
He said these crimes might be rooted in drug-related reasons.
Duterte said during his tenure as a mayor of the city, he tried to turn Davao City into a “comfortable and orderly” for the people.
Recently, a former soldier was also shot along R. Castillo Street, and a woman tagged in a money-making investment scheme was also killed in broad daylight while driving an SUV.
Last April, a Philippine Coast Guard-Davao (PCG-Davao) personnel allegedly raped several freelance models.
But she insisted that these were isolated cases, so Davaoeños has nothing to fear.
“In fact, naa gihapon (there is still a) feeling of safety not only with Dabawenyos but also with [people from] nearby regions because they still conduct occasions and conferences here in the city,” she further said.
But she also appealed to the public to help the police solve crimes by volunteering crucial information, no matter how small or big.
