Peace and Order Council discusses criminality, internal security situation of EV

By Provincial Media Relations Center
February 24, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Philippine National Police described the Eastern Visayas region as relatively peaceful while the army’s 8th Infantry Division theorizes there is a significant presence of high ranking leaders of the New People’s Army (NPA) communing in the region’s hinterlands.

These were among the highlight reports presented by the PNP-8 and the army’s 8th ID during the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) Meeting held in Catarman, Northern Samar chaired by RPOC Chairman Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla.

The PNP-8 which provided a briefing on the criminality situation in Eastern Visayas describes the region to be relatively peaceful based on the crime rates recorded from November 2010 to February 2011.

Police Supt. Cleve Taboso, acting chief of the Regional Operations Division of the PNP Recom-8, stressed in his report that threats by crime groups are readily addressed by concerned police thus the said general assessment.

The total crime volume for the region was reported to number to 1,969 incidents, which number is 369 incidents higher than those monitored to have occurred from August to October of 2010.

The PNP further reported that Tacloban City posted the highest crime volume while Biliran had lowest crime incidence for the same indicated period. In crimes against persons, Leyte province posted the highest number in crime against persons while the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc posted the highest number in crimes against property.

The PNP-8, whose regional director Police Chief Supt. Arnold Revilla was also in attendance during the meeting, said the police in the region remains on top of the situation and able to control and provide solutions to crime incidence.

Aside from this, the PNP reported that the command has taken serious and aggressive measured to discipline police personnel who were involved in some illegal acts and has instituted actions to further improve the discipline of its personnel including the conduct of background investigation of personnel and swift resolutions of cases.

Meanwhile, the army’s 8th ID declared their dismay over the loss of lives after government troops clashed with local terrorists particularly during the time when the ceasefire was in effect in December.

Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) were placed in effect as peace talks were being reopened; however, the army further reported attacks were made on government soldiers.  A number of these attacks occurred in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

Concerning internal security threat, the army still considers the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Commitee (EVRPC) is still considered as the major threat in the region as the army reported a total of 3 ambuscades, 2 sniping, 1 murder, 1 harassment and 1 arson to have occurred in 2010 up to the present.

The army likewise believed that high ranking officials of the CPP-NPA are present in the region and making the tri-boundary area of the three provinces in Samar island as their hideout.

On the other hand, the army division commander likewise disclosed they are closely working with the PNP to contain the active presence of private armed groups in the region.

As per report there are still two active PAGs existing in the region and may number to three as one of the identified group is presently having a power struggle and may splinter into two separate groups.