Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil yesterday stressed the importance of police community relations in crime prevention and suppression campaigns, especially against the economic sabotage activities and attacks of the New People’s Army against government and private installations.

Bataoil, chief of the PNP Directorate for Community Relations, said that, if the community will not report the presence of armed elements who are just waiting to stage an attack, the police may have a problem.

He cited the burning of two sugarcane transloading stations, as well as the heavy equipment of Lopez Sugar Corp. and Victorias Milling Co. in Brgy. San Jose, Toboso on March, 16, where estimated damage was placed by the police at P4.8 million.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, told Bataoil during a briefing at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, that quick reaction teams are now in place to avoid repetition of the Toboso incident.

Bataoil said sightings of armed groups should be immediately acted on, and pointed out the importance of immediate response and pro-active intervention.

He vowed to give more importance to police-community relations “because we can solve many problems on peace and order through it”.

The recent economic sabotage activities of the armed insurgents in Toboso, and the raid of a police outpost in Sagay City, had taken place, despite the presence of newly-arrived 15th Infantry Battalion and the activation of three Special CAFGU companies in northern Negros.

Col. Honorato de los Reyes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said he suspects that the simultaneous raids and destruction of properties of the two sugar centrals in Toboso, may have something to do with the rebel extortion activities.

VMC placed the estimated damage to their destroyed properties at P4 million, while the Lopez Sugar Corp. reported P850,000 in damages,  police investigations also showed.

Bataoil, former provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said he had promised to PNP chief Avelino Razon to make “Mamang Pulis” the Filipinos’ best friend.

Police records show that it was during the stint of Bataoil that NOPPO was adjudged as best provincial police office in 1997, and Police Regional Office 1 where he commanded as best police regional office twice in 2006 and 2007, nationwide.

Bataoil who was designated by Razon as a supervisor of the security preparations of police units in Western and Central Visayas during the Lenten celebration, said he is confident that Police Regional Office 6 under the leadership of Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas will able to respond to any eventuality that may arise in the region.

He also announced that Camp Crame is now ready to distribute the 500 patrol vehicles to various police units nationwide, on top of the recruitment of 3,500 new policemen for 2008, under the PNP Integrated Transformation Program, which covers physical, mental, moral and spiritual dimensions.

The physical dimension involves capability of policemen to move, shoot, communicate and investigates, while the mental dimension covers for training of law enforcers, as well as moral and spiritual, which Bataoil said the most important in the transformation program.

“No amount or number of schooling, all the best equipment that money can buy (will avail), if you do not have a conscience”, Bataoil said.

“We appeal to the people, even by way of moral support, so that the police will be able to transform itself into an institution that you want us to be,” Bataoil told the DAILY STAR.*GPB

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