By: Jennifer P. Rendon
Motorcycle-riding cops patrolling the metropolis at any given time is now a common sight in Iloilo City.
This is one way for the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) to fight criminality, Police Colonel Martin Defensor Jr. said.
Defensor, Iloilo City police chief, said amid the deployment of the 18-man ICPO Motorcycle Patrol Unit.
In one shift, nine cops will patrol city streets in a buddy-buddy system.
“It is not an ideal number but we’re making the most of what we have,” Defensor said citing that the ideal deployment is 30 policemen per shift.
“In reality, that number is hard to achieve,” he said.
Since the MPU’s creation just before the New Year, the ICPO confronted minor infractions only, from traffic violations to breaches of local ordinances.
“But we envisioned them to respond to other crimes such as snatching, robbery and even riding-in-tandem killings,” Defensor said.
Since Defensor assumed ICPO head in September 2018, murders committed by motorcycle-riding suspects or “riding-in-tandem” have occurred in the city.
Most of these killings targeted drug personalities. Unfortunately, not one suspect has been charged or arrested.
“If these criminals use motorcycles, we would also be combating their acts by also using motorcycles,” Defensor said.
Defensor said the MPU are deployed to certain points from time to time.
“They will ply certain areas of Iloilo City based on the crime clock. If these areas are where crimes usually happen, then we will be deploying them to that area,” he said.
The crime clock provides graphical data on what time of the day and which part of the city crimes occur the most.
Meanwhile, Defensor said they will further study and strengthen the MPU following a snatching incident early morning of Jan. 5 at B. Aquino Avenue or Diversion Road in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
There were reports that the police failed to immediately respond when a woman was preyed on by motorcycle-riding thieves as she was crossing the street.
Defensor said this kind of incident should be within the scope of MPU duties.
