MANILA, Philippines—Almost all cases in 2011 that were under the watch of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have been solved, its chief, Director Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said Wednesday.
In a statement, CIDG claimed they have played an important part in the fight against organized crime groups, most wanted persons, human traffickers, cyber-crime syndicates, and environment offenders.
Pagdilao Jr. said that CIDG has solved 98.84 percent of all 2,418 criminal cases reported by the public.
He said the CIDG also has neutralized 72 crime syndicates engaged in bank robberies, carjacking and gun for-hire-activities that resulted into the arrest of 325 suspects and the death of 36 others.
The chief said that among the biggest and most popular cases they have handled were “the anomalous procurement of three Philippine National Police Raven-1 helicopters allegedly owned by the former first gentleman, Attorney Jose Miguel Arroyo; the anomalous negotiated procurement of 75 rubber boats and 18 outboard motors for the use of the PNP Maritime Group; the anomalous procurement of 16 defective coastal crafts, and the anomalous repair of PNP V-150 light armored vehicles”
“Former and incumbent police officials, as well as private persons were charged with plunder and violation of the Anti-Graft Law at the Office of the Ombudsman,” he said.
Meanwhile, as per PNP chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome’s directive, CIDG, Pagdilao Jr. said, has arrested 2,878 most wanted persons in the country involved in high profile crimes, adding that a total of P9.425-million reward was given to informers.
CIDG, he said, also played an important role in the fight against human trafficking syndicates wherein 50 trafficking-in-person violators, including foreigners, were arrested and 377 victims, mostly female sex workers, were rescued.
Year 2011 also saw the CIDG at the forefront of the campaign against cybercrimes and prevent the country from becoming a haven for international cyber-crime syndicates. Pagdilao Jr. said that in spite of the lack of law that addresses cyber-crime, the CIDG has carried out 14 high profile operations that resulted into the arrest of 34 suspected cyber predators.
Pagdilao said that his department also had recovered 40 tons of banned black corals, red corals and banned shells from a warehouse in Zamboanga City; and 1,667 live endangered Philippine Gecko in General Santos City, which according to the environment department, is the biggest rescue of endangered Philippine wildlife in the history.
They have also seized illegally cut timber in coordination with environment department Task Force Miranda, he said.
Pagdilao Jr. said that the CIDG’s accomplishments in 2011 “would be the minimum standard of the group in 2012. The public can expect that more criminal syndicates will be neutralized and more sensational cases will be solved with the active support of the community.”
He said that this year, CIDG will operate under the theme: “CIDG and the Community: Empowering Each Other Against Criminality.”