The Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday that they will enforce stricter Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoints following the road rage incident that led to a fatal shooting, killing one and injuring three others in Antipolo City.
PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil, said that personnel from the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) will also be mobilized at Comelec checkpoints nationwide.
The Comelec checkpoints have been set up in light of the election gun ban, which is effective until June 11.
Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday commended the PNP for what he described as “stronger, smarter” policing, citing the significant drop in focus crimes nationwide and the swift arrest of the suspect in the recent road rage shooting in Antipolo City.
He credited PNP Chief Marbil for leading reforms that have improved crime prevention strategies and response times, saying these efforts are helping restore public confidence in law enforcement and proving that “the rule of law is alive and working.”
The Speaker also commended the police officers for their exemplary performance in promptly apprehending the suspect, identified as Kenneth Alajar Bautista, a 28-year-old businessman.
Romualdez pointed out that rapid action in high-profile incidents like this sends a clear signal that crime and impunity have no place in society.
Latest PNP data showed a 26.76% drop in focus crimes—from 4,817 cases between January 1 and February 14, 2024, to 3,528 in the same period this year.
Focus crimes include theft, robbery, rape, murder, homicide, physical injury, and carnapping of motorcycles and motor vehicles. Among these, rape saw the sharpest decline, dropping by over 50%.