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Operatives of the Presidential Anti-Colorum/Kotong
Task Force arrested 37 kotong cops and traffic enforcers, and
rounded up 893 colorum vehicles in operations in Metro Manila.
“We want to inform the public
that the PNP [Philippine National Police] is working double time to
make our streets safe from extortionists and colorum vehicles,”
Police Director Jesus Verzosa, the deputy head of the task force,
said.
The task force made the
apprehensions over a five-month period from Nov. 6, 2007 to March
14, 2008.
Verzosa said the task force
will assess its performance on April 4 in a meeting with the member
agencies involved in this campaign, so as to further enhance future
operations.
The operations are
conducted by combined elements from the PNP and the Armed Forces of
the Philippines, the Metro Manila Development Authority, Land
Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Land
Transportation Office (LTO).
Verzosa said the
apprehended 893 colorum vehicles were confiscated and impounded at
Ultra in Ortigas and Las Piñas City for safekeeping and subsequent
filing of charges with the LTFRB. He said 649 of the 893 impounded
colorum vehicles were released after compliance with the release
procedures set by task force.
On the anti-kotong
campaign, the task force arrested 16 cops, eight LTO personnel,
eight local government employees and seven civilians for extortion.
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