Santiago, Isabela mayor disputes PNP crime rate

Santiago City, Isabela Mayor Joseph Tan admitted that he was “shocked” and “dismayed” after the Philippine National Police (PNP) erroneously tagged their town as among the top five crime-prone cities in the country.

“Nagulantang nga po kami dahil sa pronouncement… Nagulat ho kami sapagka’t ‘yun ho ay hindi ho totoo kaya kami ay nagrereact at nagpoprotesta,” Tan said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Monday.

(“We were shocked when we heard of the pronouncement… We were shocked because that’s not true, that’s why we’ve been reacting and protesting to this.)

In a press briefing last week, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde tagged the following as the cities with the highest crime rates: Santiago City, Isabela in Region 2; Angeles City in Pampanga and Olongapo City in Zambales in Region 3; Region Puerto Princesa City in Palawan in Region 4-B; and Naga City in Region 5.

However, it was later discovered that Albayalde mistook the region’s number for the ranking.

PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Benigno Durana later apologized for the mix-up.

READ: PNP sorry for Naga crime rate boo-boo

Tan noted that the PNP even cited a police station in Santiago City in July as among the best-performing stations in anti-drug campaigns.

The Mayor also said 34 out of their 37 barangays have been “cleared” by the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) as they have successfully facilitated the surrender and rehabilitation of more than 1,800 drug dependents.

“Nabilang na rin natin ang mga surrendeerees (sic) at nagkaroon na ng rehab sa mga barangay at dadalhin sa rehab sa Naga City ang iba… Sa community-based rehab 1,800 plus na ang surrenderees (sic) na inaalagaan,” he explained.

(We have already accounted our number of surrenderors and have provided rehabilitation for them in their barangays, and some of them would be brought to a bigger rehab facility in Naga City… In our community-based rehab, 1,800 plus surrenderors are being taken care of.)

“Sa 37 barangays, 34 na po ang Badac-cleared na po. Tatlo na lang po ang hindi Badac-cleared kaya nakapanlulumo nga ho na may marinig tayong ganyang issue,” he added.

(Thirty-four out of 37 of our barangays are already Badac-cleared. Only three are not Badac-cleared yet that’s why we are dismayed upon hearing this kind of issue.)   /vvp