Discrepancies in crime statistics were among the reasons for the relief of some police station commanders in Davao City, a ranking official said Tuesday.
Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11) Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III visited the stations and reviewed the crime statistics, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
"So these are now under investigation," Fajardo said, adding the move is Torre's prerogative aimed at further improving police service in the region.
“Ang importante dito...maibalik natin 'yung tiwala sa atin ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na 'yung mga kababayan natin sa region (What is important here...is to restore the trust of the people, especially those in the region)," she said.
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Col. Rolindo Suguilon and 19 station commanders were relieved from their posts effective Monday.
Suguilon was replaced by Col. Lito Patay.
Aside from “severe discrepancies” in crime statistics, Torre also noted inadequate police response time in Davao City.
Torre said the DCPO report also showed killings more frequently than physical assaults, which is inconsistent with Davao's reputation as a very safe city.
He also bared that some police officials “sanitized” police blotters so as not to reflect the real situation in a particular area of responsibility.
Torre raised the importance of accurate crime reporting and recording to understand the true peace and order situation, noting that physical injuries are often precursors to more serious crimes, and if not properly addressed, can lead to killings.
In the bid to ensure a swift police response, Torre proposed the implementation of a 3-minute response time (3MRT), which he initiated as chief of the Quezon City Police District.
The PRO-11 chief said that despite advanced public safety-oriented command and control system, the DCPO had not met prompt response time.
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