Mimaropa police strengthen efforts to detect youth radicalization

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Police Regional Office in Mimaropa is bolstering its capability to detect and address early warning signs of violence and radicalization among the youth by holding a three-day seminar-workshop on Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), which ends on Friday (September 4).

The seminar brought together police personnel from Occidental and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan, alongside officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in response to recent nationwide incidents of violence involving children and adolescents, as well as concerns over harmful online content and other factors that may expose young people to radicalization and risk. 

READ: 697 fugitives nabbed, as drugs, smuggled goods seized in Mimaropa

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Participants were taught to recognize behavioral and digital indicators, understand the drivers of radicalization, assess threats, and apply proper intervention and referral mechanisms. 

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The seminar also covers local threat environments, emerging case patterns, and the need for coordinated action among police officers, social workers, schools, families, and local governments. 

Col. Hordan T. Pacatiatiw, Deputy Regional Director for Operations, emphasized that incidents outside Mimaropa should serve as a call to strengthen local preparedness “before a similar situation occurs in our communities.” 

The training also underscores the need for child-sensitive interventions that prioritize the welfare, age, and circumstances of minors, including their protection and rehabilitation. 

Brigadier Gen. Christopher R. Dela Cruz, Mimaropa police regional director, stressed the importance of acting early rather than waiting for tragedy. 

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“We should not wait for a tragedy before we start asking questions. If there are risks we can recognize today, then we have a responsibility to understand them and act before they cause harm,” Dela Cruz said. 

“When a child is at risk, the police cannot be the only answer. We need families, schools, social workers, local governments, and communities to recognize what is happening and help before the situation gets worse,” he emphasized in a statement. /jpv