Mayor Alfredo Lim yesterday led the rites marking the 108th year of the Manila Police District.

National Police Chief Jesus Verzosa, joined by Metro Manila Police Chief Leopoldo Bataoil, bestowed the best station award to Binondo under Supt. Nelson Yabut, Station 11 commander, along with other individual citations to various units.

Manila?s Finest marks its 108th year with Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales, district head, noting the gains that he said the force should exceed.

?They boast an average of 3.28 minutes response time to calls for assistance,? he said, noting that last year crime volume was 15.39 percent or 3,578 cases versus 4,229 in 2007.

Crime solution efficiency was 94 percent up by .63 percent from the previous year.

Rosales said 991 anti-drug operations netted 1,666 violators along with P1.9 million worth of illegal drugs and 2,136 cases filed under the Dangerous Drugs Law.

He reckoned 25 suspected car thieves arrested, 71 stolen vehicles recovered on top of 143 firearms confiscated.

Rosales later toured Lim, Versoza and Bataoil around the headquarters and its Tactical Operations Center?s close circuit television center which monitors key sections of city 24 hours a day together with a global position system that tracks all units to enable quick deployment.

The refleeting, said Rosales, included 82 patrols cars 60 of which came from the city hall and 22 from the the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce, with an acknowledgment of fuel supply from Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp.

Information and communication technology upgrades consisted of Motorola radios, Blackberry mobile phones and desktop computers.

Also presented awards were the MPD Press Corps; Don Emilio Yap of Manila Bulletin; Efraim Genuino of Pagcor; Enrique Razon of ICTSI; Rep. Amado Bagatsing of 5th District, Manila; Manuel Pangilinan of PLDT; John Tan of FFCCCII; Rep. Trisha Bonoan-David, 4th District; Ruel Kapunan of Vectras Inc.; Byung Yoon Lee of Healine Inc.; Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp.; Enrique Aboitiz of Aboitiz Transport System; Anson Tan, PCCI; Alfonso Uy, PFMC; Wilson Tecson of Kopiroti; Adela Acuna of Radiocom Inc.; and Florante Dy of FCGCCI.

PO3 Francisco Neri and PO3 Jose Ysmael, killed in action, and SPO4 Antonio Espadero, wounded in action, were given special awards.