By Rene Acosta
National Police Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez on Thursday warned police commanders in Batangas to hand in their resignations if they cannot stop the crime syndicates preying on companies operating in economic zones.
Marquez was upset over reports saying extortion syndicates are harassing local and foreign companies operating in Batangas economic zones.
“I told the commanders there to intensify their anticrime campaign and stop these extortion syndicates from further victimizing foreign and local companies. Otherwise, it’s time for them to resign. We have responsibilities. As commanders, they have to perform,” Marquez said.
The PNP chief visited police offices in Calabarzon on Wednesday to check the peace and order situation in the area. In Batangas, he raised the issue of extortion or harassment-for-a fee by criminal syndicates victimizing firms operating in the special economic zones.
“I told them you cannot just turn your back and close your eyes and allow these things to happen because the leaders of criminal gangs there, for the longest time, are getting bolder,” Marquez said.
The PNP chief wanted the Batangas police to protect locators or the companies that have transferred or relocated their operations to the province’s special economic zones.
“A lot of locators are moving into the country from China and it is important for the police to maintain tranquility in the vicinities of these zones,” he said
According to Marquez, the reports he was getting involved cases of extortion wherein firms that refused to give in to the demands of the criminal gangs were harassed once they get out of the economic zones.
The vehicles or equipment of the firms that refuse to pay were either pelted with stones or destroyed, he said.
“Inside the zone, the security infrastructures are okay. There have been no sensitive or serious crimes that happened there; but we wanted to receive reports that the locators are not being harassed outside the zones,” Marquez said.
“Industrial peace is crucial to development, and it includes giving investors in our economic zones a good amount of protection,” he added.
During the meeting with police officials, the PNP chief emphasized that his admonition should serve as an ultimatum for them to solve the problem of harassments and extortion.
“If you cannot do it, you have to step down,” he said.
Marquez said the presence of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Batangas would be maintained so that it could help the leadership of the Batangas police to stamp out criminality in the province.
Meanwhile, in Manila, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Joel Pagdilao ordered all district directors and station commanders to double their checkpoint operations in the metropolis for the implementation of the gun ban.
Pagdilao said during the gun ban period, only authorized personnel, like the police and armed forces, other law-enforcement officials and other security-government agencies are allowed to carry firearms under certain conditions.
Even police officers are not allowed to carry guns unless they are in uniform and are on-duty.
He also reminded police officers manning the checkpoints to rigorously observe the guidelines set by the Commission on Elections, which include being in full uniform and setting up checkpoints in well-lighted areas to allow motorists to read signage and see policemen on duty.
As of Thursday, the NCRPO has already recorded a total of 196 arrests.