Senate panel to probe rising crime wave

The Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs will conduct a series of hearings on the recent spate of crimes in the country, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, the committee chairman, said Tuesday. The investigation, set to start next week, will also focus on “updates" from the police and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) regarding criminal activities in the country, Honasan said. “We are planning to call them for updates because we want to give them a free hand in presenting to the public not only solutions, but immediate solutions and plans to reduce these series of crimes," he said. Honasan made the announcement after three charred bodies, one of them belonging to the son of Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano, were found separately in Central Luzon in less than a week. Investigators believe the three were victims of a carjacking syndicate whose modus operandi includes posing as buyers of vehicles. Honasan said he does not need a Senate resolution to conduct a series of hearings on the issue, but only the permission of the chamber. He said it is “incumbent" on their committee to conduct the hearings to reassure the public that the police are doing something about the situation.

“We will find out from the police if it is cause for public alarm... We want to know the extent from the police and what they are doing about it," he said. He likewise said they want to find out whether the problem is lack of law, its implementation, or the law enforcement agencies themselves. Honasan, however, noted that he is satisfied with how the Philippine National Police has been handling the country’s peace and order situation. “Under the leadership of Director General [Raul] Bacalzo, we’re confident that he has everything under control," he said. - KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV