Cops want end to crimes involving riding-in-tandem

CEBU, Philippines — Police are seriously looking at putting a stop to the rise of unsolved cases perpetrated by motor-riding suspects, following the cries for justice from families of the victims.

Based on the data from the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management from the electronic blotter system Crime Incident Reporting and Analysis System (CIRAS) from January to March 5 this year, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) recorded 20 incidents where the perpetrators are usually in tandem using motorcycle as a getaway vehicle.

Of these 20 recorded crimes, six are murder, three for physical injuries, four for robbery, two for carnapping, and five for theft.

Of the 20, 13 are still under investigation, four are considered solved, by which a suspect has been arrested and filed appropriate charges. Three are considered cleared, where the suspect has been identified and charged but remains at large.

Senior Inspector Jonathan Taneo, chief of CCPO Homicide Section, a unit in charge of investigation for crimes committed against persons, told The FREEMAN that the police are doubling efforts to solve cases and asks families to extend their patience.

“Wala namo gi-set aside kay mao man ni amo trabaho ang muhatag solution sa mga victims.  Mangayo mi gamay pasensya sa dagan sa pagsulbad sa kaso.  Rest assured sa amo side, gibuhat namo tanan sa lalong madaling panahon,” he said.

This statement came after family members of brothers Nick and Neil Ong trooped to the streets yesterday afternoon decrying the unsolved deaths of their loved ones.

The siblings were killed dawn of January 27 along F. Llamas Street by a gunman who fled the area through the help of another person driving a motorcycle.

Taneo, in defending the police force, added there are factors that contribute to the delay in solving cases. These include the lack of witnesses, unwillingness of the witness to execute an affidavit for the filing of the case, to consider it solved, and cooperation of establishments to give out copies of footages taken by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

He said that during the course of an investigation, it is inevitable that police meet a dead-end based on these factors.

However, though it is unsolved, case folders for each incident are continuously updated, and that if a new information surfaces, or if there are incidents related to either the suspect or victim happens. (FREEMAN)