Eleazar: Step up anti-crime ops with reopening of economy

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has ordered police commanders to step up anti-crime operations, as the economy starts to reopen with the easing of restrictions under Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila.

With more economic activity now allowed, Eleazar said they expect criminals to also intensify their activities in Metro Manila.

“I have ordered all of our unit commanders, particularly in urban areas, to further strengthen (their) anti-criminality drive and preemptive security measures to deny these criminal elements the opportunity to strike,” he said in a statement in a mix of Filipino and English.

Eleazar also commended the Highway Patrol Group and the Rizal police who killed six suspected robbers in a shootout in Antipolo City on Thursday.

The country’s top cop has ordered a thorough investigation of the suspects, who killed a security guard of a convenience store in Antipolo last week.

Probers said the suspects tried to rob a gasoline station in Antipolo before they were killed in the shootout.

Police said the suspects were also responsible for robberies in Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Metro Manila and Rizal.