Chapter 8 : Peace and Security I. ASSESSMENT AND CHALLENGES
For more than a decade, the region has continuously been beset by poverty, a fact made more appalling because its incidence is higher than the national average; this, despite the wealth and abundance of human and natural resources. To top it off, the very people who had vowed to lift it from its degraded position had taken advantage of Caraga’s impoverished condition, a condition so precarious that its peace and security had been laid bare, like a festering wound. The conflict problem in the region is deep rooted and multi-dimensional. One major cause is the inequitable access to its God-given resources, assets, and to its land. And more so, a great majority of the people has no say in the management of these resources. The frustration of its people is aggravated by the ideological conflict between government and the CPP/NPA who, understandably exploited the situation and gained considerable influence on the IPs. The region continues to be challenged with continuing concerns on increasing crime incidence, unstable peace and order and the lack of education or knowledge of the people in the communities which made them more vulnerable to conflict situations. The resolutions of these concerns are essential to allow the affected groups to be able to participate more fully to or benefit from the programs of government. Increasing crime incidence Police operations encompass a wide range of activities, particularly patrol and traffic operations, implementation of special laws, command and control, civil disturbance, and disaster management. Basically, the functions of police include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
law enforcement maintain peace and order prevent and investigate crimes and bring offenders to court of law exercise the vested powers from the Philippine Constitution and pertinent laws detain an arrested person for a period not beyond what is prescribed by law implement pertinent laws and regulations on firearms and explosives control supervise and control the training and operations of security agencies.
To effectively exercise its functions, the PNP is expected to coordinate with LGUs and the people in the communities. In the medium-term, the PNP is ready to face various challenges concerning the crimes in the region. Crime volume has been increasing from 2004 to 2007 (Table 8.1). It was only in 2008 that the incidence reduced slightly. Over time, index crime incidence has always been bigger than the non-index crimes.
Caraga Regional Development Plan, 2011-2016 | Chapter 8
| 123