BORACAY – With the cooperation of the public, this island resort would be crime-free throughout the months it is undergoing rehabilitation, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
According to Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, regional police director, their goal is to keep Boracay free from “major crimes.”
“We are hoping to achieve our goal,” said Binag.
Boracay was closed to tourism activities on April 26 for a six-month cleanup. But right on that day, a crime happened – a security guard of a resort killed a colleague.
This took place even as the PRO-6 stationed 630 policemen to Boracay.
Metro Boracay Task Force (MBTF) commander Superintendent Jesus Cambay Jr. insisted there was “no major incident that transpired during the first week of the closure, which started April 26.”
“Our rehabilitation efforts and delivery of services went smoothly and our crime environment is still manageable,” Cambay said.
At around 3 a.m. on April 26, a hotel security guard stabbed dead a colleague at a videoke bar in Barangay Manoc-Manoc.
The 36-year-old Tony Jimenez of Barangay Balabag here was arrested and detained at the island’s police substation for killing 31-year-old Jaylord Dela Vega of Batan, Aklan. Both worked at Crown Regency Hotel.
Senior Superintendent Lupe Manlapaz, Aklan police director, played down the incident as “isolated.”
Cambay, also the PRO-6’s deputy regional director for operations, said they anticipated an increase in crimes against property but these instead went down significantly to only two cases n one week.
The Philippine Army has also deployed to Boracay some 200 soldiers. The Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard also had personnel on the island./PN
