PNP Chief Torre's '5-minute-response' policy nets 265K violators in Metro Manila; P59M in fines collected
PNP Chief, Police General Nicolas Torre III (Courtesy of NCRPO)
A policy by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Nicolas Torre III requiring cops to respond to crimes within five minutes has resulted in the apprehension of 265,115 local ordinance violators in Metro Manila in just a little over one month.
A report from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) showed that 84,886 violators were fined, 1,353 were formally charged, and 178,876 others were warned and released after appropriate procedures from June 2 to July 7, or 36 days since Torre assumed office as the national police chief.
Roughly, this translates to 7,364 violators caught per day in the capital region.
The crackdown against violators also resulted in the collection of P59,494,265 worth of fines in favor of local government units.
Police Major Gen. Anthony Aberin, regional director of NCRPO, emphasized the importance of enforcing city ordinances, noting that these often serve as the gateway to larger crimes.
“Kung ngayon pa lang ay disiplinahin na natin ang publiko sa pagsunod sa batas, naiiwasan natin ang paglala ng paglabag. Ang mahigpit ngunit makataong pagpapatupad ng ordinansa ay isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa ligtas na pamayanan (If we start instilling discipline in the public to follow the law as early as now, we can prevent further violations. Strict yet humane enforcement of ordinances is a crucial step toward building a safe community),” he said.
Under Aberin’s command, the NCRPO has ramped up police visibility, strengthened coordination with local government units, and maintained consistent enforcement of local laws such as curfew ordinances, anti-littering, anti-smoking, and public sanitation rules.
He emphasized the crucial role of public cooperation in sustaining peace and order in the communities.
As part of this continuing campaign, the NCRPO encouraged the public take part in crime prevention by reporting any suspicious activity or requesting police assistance through the hotline “911”.