Abby Binay orders swift probe on Solaire employee’s fatal shooting

MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Abigail Binay on Thursday ordered the city police to speed up its investigation on the fatal shooting of a female casino employee in Barangay West Rembo on Tuesday morning.

It would be recalled that Maria Remedios Pedrano, 31, was on her way to work at the Solaire resort and casino when a still unidentified man tried to snatch her bag.

Pedrano was shot after she resisted the robber. She died immediately after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head. The robber meanwhile escaped aboard a motorcycle after taking the victim's bag.

“Safety in the city is one of the priorities of Mayor Binay. She is very concerned about this incident and has asked for a report from the chief of police. She has also asked him to undertake greater measures in preventing further incidents,” said Michael Don Camiña, city legal officer and Makati City spokesman.  

Camiña said Binay also repeated her order to Makati City police chief Senior Superintendent Rommil Mitra to increase police visibility within the city, especially in major thoroughfares and intersections. 

“Aside from mobile patrol cars, Mayor Binay asked the police chief to deploy teams to conduct foot patrols in strategic areas to deter criminals and protect the public,” Camiña said.

Earlier, Binay urged the national government to hasten the deployment of additional police officers to Makati to address the “persistent imbalance in the city’s police to population ratio.” 

In her speech recently delivered before executive judges, chief prosecutors, chiefs of police and Liga presidents who attended a workshop hosted by the National Police Commission, Binay noted that the police to population ratio in Makati was far from the ideal ratio of one to 500.

Currently, the ratio in Makati is estimated to be around one to 800 during night time, and one to 2,000 during daytime.

“The link between peace and order and sustainable progress and development cannot be denied. Safer cities mean peace of mind for investors. More investors result in revenues which in turn are used to improve public services and the welfare of the people,” Binay earlier said.

Binay also gave her assurance that the city government under her leadership will continue to provide the city police force all the needed assistance to enhance its capability to fight crime.

Binay also assured that her administration will give priority to building the city’s overall capability for crime prevention, traffic management, sanitation and disaster response in the next three years.