BF Homes residents hold anticrime dialog

MANILA, Philippines—The growing number of crimes in BF Homes Parañaque, the largest private subdivision in Asia, has prompted the city government to enlist the aid of residents to put a stop to the rash of household and car breaks-ins, holdups and drunken brawls in the area.

Last week, residents of the subdivision met with city, police and barangay (village) officials to discuss the alarming rise of crime in the subdivision.

“This is a citizen action effort, a homeowners’ initiative that deserves support,” said Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr., who launched a fact-finding team to map out ways to curb crime in the subdivision.

“The peace and order situation in a community is not just a police matter. It also requires the support of residents.”

The investigating panel will be headed by Bernabe’s executive assistant Eduardo P. Blanco, and BF Homes homeowners affairs office head Diana Quiros.

They were instructed to conduct a dialogue with the affected sectors of the BF Homes community, the mayor said.

House break-in incidents topped the list of crimes according to residents, with most of the incidents occurring near informal settlements at the periphery of BF Homes.

Several cases of car theft, meanwhile, often took place on Sundays while some residents were in church.

Residents also complained of the rising incidence of scuffles because of karaoke bars and beer gardens operating into the wee hours of the morning, said homeowners president Rommel Frias.

A block patrol system composed of homeowners and barangay tanods should be organized to deter crimes in the subdivision, according to city police chief Senior Superintendent Nestor Pastoral.

The initiative will include the deployment of a patrol team composed of homeowners and night watchmen, he said.

Parish priest Fr. Rolando Agustin proposed the creation of a multisectoral task force that will organize dialogues with informal settlers on a regular basis.