By Jennifer P. Rendon and John Noel E. Herrera
In a span of five days, three robbery-homicide cases happened in Iloilo province.
While the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) stressed that they are on top of the situation, a review of its personnel deployment is in order.
Brigadier General Leo Francisco, Western Visayas police chief, confirmed that he instructed IPPO chief Colonel Adrian Acollador to do something with its deployment plan “kasi sunod sunod ang nangyari and may perang involved.”
“Sa kapulisan nakakabahala na, lalo na sa ating mamamayan,” Francisco said, adding that the only way to move forward is to solve these incidents.
Based on an initial review, Francisco ordered beefing up the personnel deployment in some areas of the province.
Consequently, some personnel from the IPPO headquarters will be downloaded to augment police stations.
The PNP Regional Intelligence Division (RID)-6 also sent personnel to the areas where these robbery with homicide incidents happened.
Francisco said they are also going through the list of criminal gangs in Western Visayas that are involved in robbery incidents.
“We are reviewing their activities so that we could zero in on their possible involvement,” he said.
On Sept 10, 2022, chief security guard Wilson Gait of Carles, Iloilo was shot dead by four armed persons in the waters of Barangay Bito-on, Carles.
It was reported that Gait together with his four companions were robbed of the P320,000 cash for the salary of employees on Sicogon Island.
Three young businessmen aboard a car were also shot dead on Sept 14 in Barangay Pani-an, Estancia, Iloilo.
The fatalities were identified as Jan Paul Mark Bosque, 28, of Barangay Lopez Jaena Sur, Lapuz, Iloilo City; Chrysler Floyd Fernandes, 27, of Barangay Jereos, La Paz, Iloilo City; and Mark Clarenz Libao, 24, of Jaro, Iloilo City.
The following day, Sept 15, delivery van driver Jerry Faldas of Passi City was killed in a robbery incident in Barangay Pasig, Lambunao town, while his two companions were wounded.
Authorities reported that the robbers took away an estimated P591,000.
Meanwhile, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said that despite the harrowing crimes, he still trusted the authorities to solve the cases and maintain order in the province.
Defensor added that he is aware of the measures that IPPO is taking to solve the crimes as the authorities are giving him information about the progress of the investigation.
The governor also said that there is no need to give incentives or reward money to the police as it is their job to investigate and solve the crimes.
“Ang mga kaso ta sang-una nga gin sugilanon, nag-promiso to sila and they are now being prosecuted, cases are being filed, and again liwaton ko, I know and I trust them because the PNP reports sa akon adlaw-adlaw on their operations, crimes apprehended, and we know what they are doing,” Defensor said.
