Eleazar tasks Koronadal cops: Investigate attack on DOST Region 12 official

MANILA, Philippines — Officers from the Koronadal City Police Station have been tasked to investigate the gun attack against a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 12 official on Wednesday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.

Eleazar said on Thursday that he has also directed the said police office to intensify its anti-crime measures to avoid similar incidents like what happened to Engineer Normina Pahm, who was shot while waiting for the service vehicle near their office in Barangay Saravia, Koronadal.

Pahm, assistant regional director of DOST’s Region 12 office, survived the attack but she was rushed to the South Cotabato provincial hospital after getting hit in her right shoulder.

“Muling nagkakaroon ng lakas ng loob ang mga kriminal na maghasik ng karahasan kaya inatasan ko na ang ating mga unit commanders na palakasin ang kanilang mga anti-crime strategies at tiyakin din na mananagot ang sinumang makakalusot sa ating kampanya sa peace and order,” Eleazar said.

(Criminal elements are again having the confidence to launch attacks and spread violence that is why I have tasked our unit commanders to strengthen their anti-crime strategies and ensure that the perpetrators affecting our campaign for peace and order would be held accountable.)

“The assurance that these criminal elements would be arrested and held accountable for their illegal activities remain the best anti-crime strategy. Kaya inaasahan ko na tututukan ng PRO-12 ang kasong ito upang mahuli at agad mapanagot ang mga taong nasa likod ng pangyayaring ito,” he added.

(That is why I have directed the whole PRO-12 to resolve this case so that we can arrest the people behind this incident.)

Eleazar said that local police must coordinate to secure the victim while pursuing the investigation by looking at closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) footage to check the suspect’s identity.

He also urged officers to secure officials of the different national government agencies, especially those who got received threats.

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