We whole-heartedly congratulate the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) under Col. Alberto Lupaz for being recognized as the top-performing police command in the entire Davao Region.
While we have observed that in the past many months there was a surge in crimes against persons and properties the DCPO however, was able to solve several sensational cases committed by well-known personalities and some common criminals.
We are referring to the day-light killing of a businesswoman reportedly doubling as fashion model; the shooting to death of a 19-year old in the vicinity of a local bar; and the heinous rape-slay case of a young architect in Calinan.
The first crime mentioned has no less than a brigadier general in the Philippine Army as suspected mastermind. He is now facing criminal charges in the civil courts and a Court Martial proceeding in the Army. Unfortunately we have yet to hear of the latest development on the cases against the Army officer.
The second crime we mentioned here is that of a teenager from Sultan Kudarat who was shot dead by a medical doctor working as non-uniformed personnel at the Philippine National Police at its regional headquarters in Panacan. Of course with so many witnesses present, the doctor was immediately put in police custody although the original murder charge against him was down-graded to simple homicide. How and why, only the prosecutor can give an answer. The police under Colonel Lupaz cannot.
The third crime of course was the one that rocked the sensitivity of women in Davao City. Yes, that woman architect who was waiting for a ride home barely half a kilometer away, later ending up with her body dumped in a shallow canal of a banana plantation. She was later found out to have been raped before she was slain by her abductors.
The latter crime subsequently resulted to at least two abductions of alleged suspects. One was tortured and eventually killed; another gone forever with no trace of his body.
No doubt these serious crimes were blots on the record of the DCPO. But since the three all ended solved and the alleged perpetrators put behind bars or killed, the cases were considered closed and therefore can be considered exceptional accomplishment of the DCPO.
Personally we believe that on the whole the DCPO really deserves that feather on its cap and Davaoenos should be proud of their police organization. We can only hope that this good performance will continue and the current peace and order situation of Davao City will prevail for the longest time.
Again, we congratulate the DCPO and to the men and women in the entire command.
******************************
Talking of the DCPO performance, we now observe that the command is not only focusing on maintaining the safety and security of the people in the city but they are also into strengthening their desirable relation with the community that they serve.
Sometime early last week we read in the local papers that the command initiated a gift-giving activity to some disadvantaged children in selected communities. In short the policemen under Colonel Lupaz are now in the thick of “winning the hearts and minds” of the people in the community in their efforts to restore the trust of the public which has been badly diminished because of the shenanigans of an insignificant few in their ranks.
Last Wednesday the children in barangay Talandang in Tugbok district, some 31 kilometers away from downtown Davao City and numbering around two hundred were recipients of gifts from policemen. They were also entertained by some groups to complete their enjoyment for the holiday season.
Calling the activity “Pamaskong Handog sa 2023 Alay sa Kabataan” under the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay Cluster 12, the policemen belonging to the Tugbok Police station brought cheers to the erstwhile clueless children as to what was in store for them from the men in uniform. The policemen-Sta. Clauses who initiated the gift-giving worked in close coordination with the barangay officials led by Barangay Captain Gil Lopez. The cops-gift bearers were composed of P/Capt. Rene A Caras as Area Supervisor, P/CMS Hazel D Duncombe as team leader, and Pat Getty Christian A Narvasa, Pat Jake Michael J Permito, Pat John Christopher D Joaquin, Pat Armando I Rontal Jr, Pat Jandel A Quezada And Pat Leann L Sison as members.
The law enforcers, mostly in their early years in the service, were so dexterous in adjusting to the children’s character that immediately they were already like parents and brothers/sister to the kids who also gamely participated in the various activities..
We can only hope that this kind of police immersion in the community will be sustained in whatever manner. We are certain that this will heal whatever “wounds” they “inflicted” on the public and reverse the negative image the people see in the police organization.
-30-
