PNP still hot on the trail of motorcycle-riding crime suspects

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has vowed to pursue its campaign against motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS), even as ‘riding-in-tandem’ incidents had declined.

“We look at this problem as a serious concern, hindi natin pwedeng pabayaan itong riding in tandem na ‘to, although sabi nga natin na malaki ang binaba (we cannot take this ‘riding-in-tandem’ incidents for granted even as the number of incidents had declined),” PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said during Monday’s press briefing.

“But then again meron pa ring nabibiktima kasi, more than 50 percent ang binaba pero meron pa ring nabibiktima (Though the incidents have decreased by as much as 50 percent, there were still people being victimized),” he added.

Albayalde’s assurance comes after two Chinese nationals were killed in broad daylight along Taft Avenue on Saturday.  Gunmen aboard a motorcycle opened fire on Yan Yi Shou, 35, and Wu Huai Hong, 30, near the Araullo High School.

READ: 2 Chinese nationals killed in Manila riding-in-tandem shooting 

The PNP chief, however, said crimes brought about by MRS were already a problem even before the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Even before the Duterte administration, ang dami namang foreigner na tinatamaan talaga o pinapatay (there were many foreigners killed), perpetrated by these motorcycle-riding-suspects,” Albayalde claimed.

“Pero kasi meron pa ring insidente kaya nakikita ng mga tao ‘yan, every time, kahit na wala ngayon biglang meron the following week.  Kasi it goes back, parang nagiging cycle siya hindi mawala sa isipan ng tao kahit anong sabihin mo na bumaba siya,” he explained.

(There are still incidents so people see it every time. There may be no incidents this week, but the following week there would be new incidents. It’s like a cycle so it stays in people’s minds even if the number of incidents decreases.)

On PNP’s measures

Albayalde stated that the number of crimes committed by MRS had gone down since the PNP launched the Clean Rider campaign, where motorcycle drivers with no prior criminal record and which has complete legal documentation for their vehicles were given stickers as proof that they were ‘clean’.

READ: PNP launches ‘Clean Rider’ campaign to fight crime

Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez Jr. affirmed that shooting incidents perpetrated by MRS decreased significantly due to the PNP’s intensified operations and programs, such as the Oplan Sita and the Clean Rider Sticker Campaign.

“When we started on October 27 (2017) when we conducted intensified operations against motorcycle-riding suspects involved in shooting incidents, ang weekly (number) was about fifty or fifty-plus,” Mendez said.

“Bumaba na siya ngayon twenty-five plus-minus (per week), hindi na siya tumataas (It went down to 25+ and 25- and it hasn’t gone up again),” he added.

He also said that investigators have identified some of these motorcycle-riding suspects.

“We asked the regional offices to prepare ‘iyong list nila pero hindi sila kumpleto.  I think at least per region may mga ten silang na-identify (We asked the regional offices to prepare a list but it’s not yet complete. At least per region, there were ten MRS already identified),” he said.

Albayalde also clarified that MRS were either arrested or killed in police operations, contrary to claims that authorities were unable to hold them accountable for their crimes.

“Merong naaresto, merong namamatay rin, especially sa PRO-Calabarzon ang dami nang na-neutralize na MRS doon, especially ‘don sa gun-for-hire, kasi ‘iyong mga gun-for-hire at saka ‘iyong mga MRS, usually iisa ‘yan (Some were arrested, some were killed, especially in PRO-Calabarzon where many motorcycle-riding suspects have been neutralized. There were also gun-for-hire suspects because usually the gun-for-hire suspects and the MRS are one),” Albayalde said.

“We’re trying everything para maiwasan itong riding-in-tandem incidents na ito.  Remember marami tayong mga police interventions na ginagawa dito para nga ma-lessen (We are doing everything to lessen this ‘riding-in-tandem’ incidents through the different police interventions we have introduced),” he added. /ee