PNP fielding 'marshals' in buses, trains during the holidays

MANILA, Philippines - Uniformed police marshals will be fielded on board passenger buses and trains in Metro Manila starting Thursday as part of security measures during the holiday season, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said. Police Director Leopoldo Bataoil, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the "public transport marshals" will board passenger buses plying the stretch of the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue. The marshals will also make the rounds inside the 13-station Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and the twin lines of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Bataoil said. "I will revive this plan and authorize these policemen to board the buses while in uniform and patrol crime-prone areas," Bataoil said during a consultation with various transport groups at the Quezon City police station. He assured that the police deployment would not cause inconvenience nor alarm the riding public, adding that the uniformed marshals would only be carrying short firearms. "Sinisigurado ko na magiging magalang naman sila sa pagsakay at magtatanung-tanong lang kung may mga suspicious acts (I assure you that our cops will be courteous when boarding and would only check if there are suspicious activities inside)," he said. Bataoil said the move was meant to "decrease sizably," if not eliminate, robbery incidents inside passenger buses, trains, and taxis. He said that robbery suspects striking in buses evade arrest because the passengers usually get scared of signaling to people outside about the crime that is transpiring. "Malaking tulong sa transport sector kapag nabawasan ang mga holdup. The trust of the public (in riding public transport) will boost the transport industry," Bataoil assured. In response, the transport groups who attended the dialogue pledged their support for the PNP’s crime prevention efforts. Among the transport groups who turned up for the meeting at the NCRPO Extension Office in Kamuning, Quezon City were the Metro Manila Bus Operators Association, the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Transport Workers Foundation. Zero robbery in bus stations The deployment of public transport marshals are in line with the PNP's goal to achieve a "zero robbery rate" inside bus stations, according to Bataoil. "We are targeting a zero hold-up rate inside bus terminals during the upcoming Christmas and New Year," Bataoil said. He said he is already tapping station commanders in various cities in Metro Manila to maintain "strong points" and police visibility not only inside bus terminals but also sea ports, airports, train stations, malls, and other "areas of convergence." "We will also be requiring station commanders to maintain strong points or visibility inside bus terminals and other areas like sea ports, airports, MRT, LRT, malls, and other areas of convergence," he said. He said he would also be considering a bus group's suggestion that closed-circuit television cameras be installed inside bus terminals to detect suspicious activities. After the consultation, Bataoil and his men proceeded to the nearby MRT Kamuning Station to inspect the security preparedness of the management. - GMANews.TV