More police officials relieved for underreporting crime stats

PNP Director General Alan Purisima INQUIRER File Photo

MANILA, Philippine—More police officials were relieved from their posts over alleged underreporting of crime statistics in their jurisdiction, the Philippine National Police said.

The PNP said that over 40 percent of cases during the first half of the year in police offices under Police Regional Office VI went unreported.

PNP chief, Director General Alan Purisima, ordered the relief of 13 police officials in Western Visayas for allegedly violating the strict command policy on accurate crime reporting.

Police Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP-Public Information Office chief, said the relief order was prompted by the result of the audit recently conducted by an 8-man team from the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, which revealed that at least 6,800 crime incidents or 41.6% of the cases were not reported by PRO6 to DIDM.

The inspection of police blotters from January to June of the region’s police stations was conducted last September 9 to 20.

“I have emphasized time and again that the basis of our actions in the higher headquarters are the inputs from the lower unit, therefore, it is imperative that we get the accurate data, statistics and information so we can act accordingly,” Purisima said.

Relieved were:

1.    Senior Superintendent Pedroto Escrilla, provincial director (PD), Aklan PPO

2.    Senior Inspector Elberto Pudadero, chief of police (COP), Sta. Barbara MPS, Iloilo PPO

3.    Superintendent David Cachumbo Jr., COP Bago CPS, Negros Occidental PPO

4.    Senior Inspector Anthony Grande, COP Pulupandan MPS, Negros Occidental PPO

5.    Superintendent Calixto Mabugat, COP Kabankalan MPS, Negros Occidental PPO

6.    Superintendent Rosauro B Francico Jr., COP Silay CPS, Negros Occidental

7.    Senior Inspector Ahlie Extember, COP Jordan MPS, Guimaras PPO

8.    Chief Inspector Norby Escobar, COP San Jose de Buenavista MPS, Antique PPO

9.    Inspector Frankie Gatila, COP Libertyas MPS, Antique PPO

10. Superintendent John Limwell VIllafranca, COP Klibo MPS, Aklan PPO

11. SInsp Ricky Bontogon, COP Ibajay MPS, Aklan PPO

12. Senior Inspector Francisco Balais, COP Buruanga MPS, Aklan PPO

13. Senior Inspector Joefer Cabural, station commander, Boracay TAC, Aklan PPO.

Seventeen more former police commanders in Western Visayas are also undergoing pre-charge investigation for the same offense, Sindac said.

Sindac said auditing of crime statistics in all other regional police offices in the entire country is continuously being conducted by DIDM.

In the National Capital Region, PNP earlier announced the relief of three police officials in the cities of Pasay, Mandaluyong and Taguig City over the same offense.