Crimes in Makati alarm Binay

Alarmed by the upsurge of crime in the city, particularly on Chino Roces Avenue and C5 Road, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay ordered the city police chief to make his men more visible on the streets.

The local government has included the two thoroughfares on its list of crime-prone areas in the city after a spate of crime incidents.

Among these incidents were last week’s snatching of a gold bracelet in Barangay (village) Bangkal and a robbery inside a house in Barangay Kasilawan, where P10-million worth of property were stolen.

The Inquirer also reported last month about brazen robbery incidents inside jeepneys on Chino Roces Avenue, as witnessed by the paper’s employees.

Twice in 2 weeks

One of them, Cipriano Frias, a 48-year-old library assistant at the Philippine Daily Inquirer main office on Chino Roces, said he twice witnessed passengers being held up inside jeepneys within two weeks.

Spared since he was seated next to the driver, he saw the robbers “casually walking away,” since no policeman was around.

Recent reports also showed the rise of petty crimes carried out by teen robbers called “Batang Hamog” on C5 Road. The robbers allegedly take advantage of the downpours and heavy traffic to steal valuables and hold up commuters.

In a statement, Binay said that the spate of crimes in the said areas was alarming and should be curbed.

“The city government aims for a crime-free environment wherein people can roam the city streets without feeling afraid that they would be victimized by criminal elements,” he said.

He said he has instructed Makati police chief Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban to “immediately deploy more policemen and patrol cars to increase police visibility in crime-prone areas in the city.”