MOTORIZED ANTI-STREET CRIME OPERATIVES (MASCO) and TASK FORCE DRAGON (TFD) LAUNCHED

PRESS RELEASE
Manila Media Bureau
November 12, 2010

Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim yesterday graced the launching of the motorized anti-street crime operatives (MASCO) and the Task Force Dragon (TFD) at the Manila Police District Station 11 with a call for the police to establish good relations with the citizens in their jurisdiction.

Also present in the affair were MPD Director Gen. Roberto Rongavilla and deputy director Col. Alex Gutierrez, NCRPO chief Gen.Nicanor Bartolome, third district Congresswoman Naida Angping and the station commanders led by Col. Ernesto Tendero, Jr., who is chief of the Meisic Police Station 11 where the launch was held.

In his speech, Lim congratulated and thanked Bartolome for having chosen Manila as the venue for the said launching of the twin projects.

Lim stressed the importance of establishing close contact with the residents, saying that at least 90 percent of crimes can be solved through tipped information from ordinary citizens.

“Tandaan ninyo, ang malalaking asunto, walang makapagbibigay ng tip sa inyo kundi ang mamamayan din mismo,” he said.

The mayor added: “How will the people volunteer information if you don’t know them or they don’t know you?”

Lim also recalled that he was a beat policeman patrolling the Meisic area on foot, he knew nearly all the people living in the area and made a lot of friends and thus established tipsters.

During those days, Lim said the cops are able to make real good contact with the people, so that the mere sight of a uniformed policeman on foot patrol readily created peace of mind on the part of the residents and even passersby.

He stressed the importance of making the ordinary people feel assured that the police is not their enemy, but their friend and protector.

Meanwhile, Rongavilla said the TFD is a combination of different units of the police whose purpose is to combat all kinds of crimes.

The MASCO, on the other hand, was created to counter swift criminal elements that use motorcycles as their get away vehicles when perpetrating crimes.

For her part, Angping welcomed the development with the onset of the Christmas season.

The creation of the said groups, Angping said, is very timely, considering that crimes such as snatching holdup and robbery usually increase during this time of the year.

“We value and need you,” Angping told the police, as she thanked them for choosing the third district as the venue of the MASCO and TFD launching