By DHEL NAZARIO
The Pasay City police will deploy permanent police personnel to secure the EDSA Pasay-Rotonda footbridge in Pasay after a Manila Bulletin-Tempo reporter was robbed at knifepoint yesterday.
Pasay police chief Police Col. Bernard Yang said yesterday he will place permanent policemen in the area after Erma Edera was robbed at the height of the Southeast Asian Games when police visibility is presumed to be strong.
Edera was on her way home from a coverage at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila and was crossing the footbridge when two men armed approached her and declared a holdup at about 12 a.m.
The suspects who took her phone, Edera said, are in their 20s and were not wearing masks.
Incident reports submitted regularly to the Southern Police District said the footbridge is the site of various criminal activities.
There have also been illegal barkers in the area arrested for possession of illegal drugs. The area was also the site of a shooting incident this year.
The area is under the Pasay police Baclaran Police Community Precinct. According to the SPD, while there are personnel from the precinct deployed for SEAG, they are not fixed since their main focus is anti-criminality.
During the time of the incident, there were no police personnel deployed, according to Edera.
Pasay police associate chief of police for administration Police Lt. Col. Deanry Francisco said that they will notify the Baclaran PCP commander regarding the incident.
The dark and grimy bridge serves as passageway for those who wish to cross Taft Ave. to the other side to ride jeepneys for Taguig City and various points in southern Metro Manila. It is also where the Metro Rail Transit Taft Ave. station is located.
