The Philippine National Police on Monday expressed alarm over the sharp rise in carjacking cases this year compared to last year’s despite the launching of the anti-crime drive “Oplan Lambat-Sibat,” a brain child of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, whom President Benigno Aquino ‘‘anointed” to be the administration’s standard bearer in the 2016 elections.
Records showed that 586 motor vehicles were stolen nationwide from January to June this year nationwide compared to 843 from January to December 2014.
“It is higher than last year’s, but there has been significant results in the arrest of suspects with the intensified operations conducted by the Highway Patrol Group,” said HPG Public Information Officer Supt. Oliver Tanseco.
Most of the carjacking incidents in the Metropolis took place in Quezon City, followed by Calabarzon with 82 cases and Central Luzon, 55 cases, Tanseco said.
Metro Manila topped the list of carjack incidents with 381, followed by Calabarzon with 165 and Central Luzon 157, he said.
In a briefing, Tanseco also admitted to an upsurge in motorcycle theft around the country with 4,881 cases for the six months of 2015 compared to 8,515 in 2014, the highest of which occurred in Region-3.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Ricardo Marquez approved the promotion of 14,462 Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCO), who qualified for regular promotion program.
A total of 1,521 PCOs and 12,941 PNCOs have qualify for promotion after passing the examination and interviews, a pre-requisites for the 2nd level regular promotion program.
Director Dominador Aquino Jr., PNP director for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM), said a total of 36,739 police officers applied for the program. Promoted were 84 superintendents; 664 chief inspectors; 554 senior inspectors; 219 inspectors; 1,278 SPO4s; 279 SPO3s; 2,867 SPO2s; 2,543 SPO1s; 2,980 PO3s and 2,994 PO2s.
“After the rigid process of screening and evaluation, only 14,461 met the qualification standards and complied with the requirements,” Aquino added.