BUTUAN City– Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas arrived in Butuan Wednesday morning to distribute 10 patrol jeeps or troop carriers to the various municipal police stations in Agusan del Norte.
Sec. Roxas arrived at the venue, the Agusan del Norte Capitol covered court, escorted by Agusan del Norte Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante-Matba, DILG Regional Director Lilibeth Famacion, Caraga Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief PCSupt. David Y. Ombao, Provincial Interior and Local Government Director Romeo Solis, chiefs of the line agencies or their representatives, the local chief executives of the local government units (LGUs) or their representatives and those coming from the other sectors.
Roxas, giving his message, said that his move was the fulfillment of his promise to the government units to distribute one patrol jeep for each municipality across the country.
Thirty patrol jeeps are up for distribution; 10 for the province of Agusan del Norte and 20 to Bukidnon. The turnover rites in Bukidnon will be held also at the capitol of the province this afternoon. Roxas also said that he envisioned the patrol jeeps to be used not only in responding to crime situations but in emergency situations as well. Such functions according to Roxas, include transporting evacuees or relief goods during disasters.
Roxas assured all local executives present that all municipalities will receive a patrol jeep regardless of political affiliation. He said that the recipients this morning were all municipal police stations, which were prioritized as they can not easily afford to buy such patrol vehicles. The cities of Butuan and Cabadbaran will be included during the second phase of distribution. He also mentioned that his department prioritized the province of Agusan del Norte because of the notable presence of rebels in the hinterlands, the intensified campaign against criminality, anti-illegal drugs and other illegal activities here. He said that even the provincial governor was a survivor of an ambush incident in a hinter barangay here.
According to Roxas, the delivery of service to all is one of the main principles of the “Daang Matuwid.” He said he had already distributed patrol jeeps in the provinces of Albay, Sirsogon, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Western Samar, Sarangani and South Cotabato.
The procurement and distribution of patrol jeeps is part of the overall strategy to reduce crime not only in the nation’s capital, but in the whole country as well.
The DILG Chief has implemented “Oplan Lambat-Sibat,” an intensified anti-crime campaign that employs a “deliberate, programmatic and sustained approach.”
He said recent efforts of the PNP through the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has resulted in a more than 60 percent reduction of crime incidents in Metro Manila since Oplan-Lambat Sibat was implemented in June last year.
DILG Secretary Roxas left for Bukidnon right after the lunch hosted by Governor Amante at the Agusan del Norte capitol. pna
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