BASILAN – Governor Jim Salliman-Hataman of Basilan is urging security forces, notably the 101st Brigade led by BGen. Alvin Luzon, to develop comprehensive, preemptive strategies to address the escalating criminal activities within the province.
The governor’s plea came during an emergency meeting with Gen. Luzon at the brigade headquarters in response to the recent upsurge in criminal incidents throughout various areas of the province.
In the meeting, the Provincial Police Office presented alarming statistics depicting a notable increase in crime rates during the current quarter compared to the same period last year. Lamitan City, in particular, witnessed a series of incidents, including the recent fatal shooting of a money transfer employee last Tuesday.
In light of these developments, Gen. Luzon proposed the establishment of a Joint Security Task Force, aiming to investigate recent shooting incidents and pursue the identified suspects.
Governor Salliman stressed the urgency of heightened efforts in solving crimes and voiced full support for provincial government programs. He issued directives to the security sector, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive action plan. Suggestions included the rationalization of the Police Mobile Force, mirroring the Special Action Force. Furthermore, he advocated for facilitating the deployment of PNP personnel to supplement LTO staff at checkpoints and conducting surprise joint patrols or unannounced checkpoints 24/7.
Salliman underscored the importance of crafting an action plan encompassing detailed preventive and effective measures. He also called for an aggressive information campaign to counter criminality effectively.
In his directive to the police and military in Basilan, Governor Salliman emphasized, “An action plan must be crafted with detailed preventive and effective measures to counter criminality in the province with an aggressive information campaign.”
