More cops deployed amid riding-in-tandem killings

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has further intensified its deployment amid the two murder incidents perpetrated by riding-in-tandem assassins.

Colonel Eric Dampal, Iloilo City police chief, said that he ordered police units to maximize their foot and mobile patrols, especially in crime-prone areas and those frequented by the public this Holiday season.

His order was for police units to have their visibility felt by the public.

But Dampal did not have a categorical answer when asked if the two killings by motorcycle-riding suspects should cause alarm.

“Our police investigators are working to solve the incidents. The full force deployment of our personnel is one way to avert the same incident from happening,” he said.

On Tuesday, a suspected drug personality was killed, just two days after the murder of a hog trader.

Both incidents happened in Jaro district.

The latest victim, Elizer Galon, 31, of Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, City Proper district, Iloilo City, was repeatedly shot outside a motorcycle shop at McArthur, Barangay M.V. Hechanova, Jaro.

And it appeared that both Edranil Umadhay, the man who was killed on December 13, and Galon have one thing in common: both are drug personalities.

Dampal said they are yet to ascertain if the killers of both victims are the same.

But initial reports indicated that in both instances, the suspects used a Yamaha Mio motorcycle.

When asked about the presence of Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operating (MASCO) teams, Dampal said they are deployed but “we can’t cover all areas of the metropolis.”

The two murder incidents perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects happened a week after Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) director Brigadier General Rolando Miranda declared that they will strengthen their campaign against riding-in-tandem or motorcycle-riding suspects.

Miranda said he wanted a more focused effort to counter the acts of motorcycle-riding suspects (MRS), especially those in the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, the two highly-urbanized cities in Western Visayas.

Currently, PRO-6 has MASCO teams, which are deployed to respond to incidents involving motorcycle-riding suspects, other crimes and even emergencies.

From January to November 2020, a total of 90 crimes were committed by motorcycle-riding suspects.

Of the 90 cases, 43 are murder, 20 are physical injuries, 15 are robbery cases, 7 are theft cases, 3 are rape and 2 are motornapping.

 

OTHER CASES

It appeared that MRS are not only present in Iloilo City.

An alleged drug personality was gunned down by two unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants in Barangay Old Sagay, Sagay City, Negros Occidental on December 15, almost a month after he survived the first gun attack last month in Toboso town.

Erwin Yu, 31, of the said village, was listed as the sixth top drug personality in the town based on the drug listing of Toboso Municipal Police Station.

Prior to that, A drug surrenderer was gunned down by two unidentified men on a motorcycle at Barangay 9, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on December 11z

Police identified the victim as Leo Porras, 30, of Barangay Hilamonan.

Although the victim surrendered to the authorities in 2016, it could not be ascertained if the incident was drug related.