Ynares: Antipolo to look into incidents of cyclist theft along Sumulong
Read Time:3 Minute, 52 Second
Antipolo City Mayor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III said the Antipolo City Police Station will respond following online reports about cyclists being robbed by riding-in-tandem suspects along Sumulong Highway.
“The local government wants to assure the cycling community that we are listening to their concerns as a highly valued part of our growing city,” Ynares told The Taktak Times.
“Our local police force will further strengthen monitoring and enforcement of such incidents, even as we urge concerned parties to come forward by properly reporting crimes and cooperating with our PNP,” Ynares added.
Some online accounts have surfaced recently alerting cyclists to exercise caution when climbing up Sumulong Highway.
In a March 9 post by photographer Dominic Sales, who regularly shoots along Hinulugang Taktak, he urged cyclists to be extra vigilant when climbing Sumulong Highway due to a riding-in-tandem suspect preying on cyclists.
These perpetrators would reportedly have a backride who would pick the back pocket jerseys of cyclists climbing up the steep sections of Sumulong, particularly going up the Valley Golf area, grabbing their phones or wallets, before speeding away.
“Hi everyone!! Extra careful with our phones and money when riding around Sumulong. Reported multiple times already na may motorcycle na PCX white na mahilig ng easy money dahil tamad at di marunong maghanap buhay ng naayon sa batas at walang nagsasakripisyong ibang tao,” wrote Sales.
Sales said that one pro cyclist has also been reportedly victimized and further added that he already came across five similar posts of cyclists being robbed along Sumulong Highway. Others have also shared similar anecdotes in the post, which have been shared 164 times to date
Police response
Meanwhile, the chief of the Antipolo city police assured cyclists that the police are ready to respond to assure their safety.
“Rest assured na kami po we are doing our best, we are continuously formulating strategies to make our services better,” Police Lieutenant Colonel June Paolo Abrazado, chief of the Antipolo city police, told The Taktak Times in a separate interview.
Abrazado also urged all victims to report the incident to the police as based on their records, incidents of theft have actually been going down recently, indicating a statistics mismatch.
“May mismatch for sure, there is no such thing as perfect data, kasi ito lang po yung data ng nag-report sa amin dito sa station, victims who took the time and effort para idulog sa amin yung case nila,” Abrazado said.
Abrazado said he has been aware of the reported incidents before, which also led to the creation of the Sumulong police outpost that was inaugurated last December 2022.
In addition, Abrazado said they have also started documenting the details of motorcycle riders in Antipolo at various checkpoints through their “Oplan Pitik.”
But beyond these initiatives, Abrazado said their force is hamstrung by a shortage of personnel. From the ideal ratio of one police officer is to 500 citizens, Abrazado said their current ratio is one police per 4,300 citizens in Antipolo, which is the most populous city in Region IV-A.
“Masyadong maraming tao sa Antipolo na dapat marami rin sanang pulis so with our situation we just have to strategize,” Abrazado said.
Negative impact
When reached for further comment, Sales said he hoped the local government could indeed act on the matter to help preserve the image of the city as being cycling-friendly.
“Malaki ang possible impact ng mga nakawan kahit na simpleng cellphone kasi ang fear natin is hindi lang sa mga papunta ng Hinulugang Taktak magkakaroon ng negative impact kung hindi sa buong Antipolo,” Sales said.
“Paano kung next time influencer or celebrity na ang mabiktima? I think urgent siya not just for cyclists but also for the interest of many,” Sales added.
Sales added that Abrazado has already reached out to him following his posts and encouraged cyclists who may be victimized to proceed and file a report to the local PNP.
For cyclists or other citizens who may be a victim of theft or any crime, Abrazado said that they should not hesitate to coordinate with the police and relay all important details about the perpetrator.
Here are the help desk mobile hotlines for the Antipolo PNP: 0917 157 7627, 0998 598 5717.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
Bim has been a journalist for television, radio, print, and online for many years covering business and news beats. He believes in the power of a good story.
0
0
