PNP DEPUTY chief for administration Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia yesterday urged policemen to intensify crime prevention efforts and work for a drug-free Yuletide season as a Christmas present to the Filipino people.
“It is very timely that we go back to our proactive crime prevention efforts this Yuletide season,” Sermonia said during flag-raising rites at the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Sermonia said people are excited to celebrate Christmas this year as restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been eased.
“We are finally free from the fear of getting seriously affected by COVID-19. But I guess it would be better if the people can also feel free from fearing crime,” he said.
He said that while people are happy they can freely move around during the Yuletide season due to improved COVID-19 situation, “criminal elements are also celebrating” because they can victimize more people.
Sermonia said policemen should act and respond to the order of President Marcos Jr and PNP chief Gen. Rhodel Sermonia to “step up our crime prevention measures to address fear of crime, erase the fear of our countrymen.”
“Let us offer this a meaningful Christmas gift to our countrymen — save everyone from criminal who may roam around while people are very excited to welcome Christmas and New Year,” said Sermonia.
“Let me reiterate the marching order and the desire of our chief PNP (Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr). We would rather choose that the crime is prevented than a crime being solved because no amount of efficiency in crime investigation and crime solution can bring back a life of our loved one lost to a crime incident,” added Sermonia.
Apart from intensified crime prevention efforts, Sermonia said policemen should also offer to the Filipino people a drug-free Christmas as gift this season.
“Let us offer to the parents like us the gift of saving children, our children, from the influence of illegal drugs,” Sermonia added.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said the public should expect more policemen in places of convergence in the coming days as part of the PNP’s security measures this Christmas season.
“You are going to see more police in areas of public convergence, where we expect people to gather, as part of our preparations during approaching Christmas season,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said more policemen will be deployed to markets and malls, and public assistance desks will be set up at transport terminals and hubs and major thoroughfares due to anticipated influx of travelers.
She said tourism policemen will also be deployed to “famous tourist spots” to secure tourists who will be taking a vacation here during the Christmas season.
Meanwhile, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said the Metro Manila Council (MMC) is stepping up efforts to address the expected heavy traffic in Metro Manila during the holiday season.
Zamora, newly elected MMC president, said among measures being taken are adjustment of mall hours, extending the duty period of traffic enforcers, and suspension of road construction works in the metropolis.
Zamora said the MMC has also postponed the demolition of the bridge in Altura, Sta. Mesa that will give way to the construction of the NLEX-SLEX connector.
“The NLEX-SLEX Connector project will still continue but the decommissioning of the Magsaysay Bridge will be on December 26. This means the bridge can still be used until December 25,” he said. — With Christian Oineza
