Cebu City police council to review security measures, capability to engage criminals

Members of Cebu City’s Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) will convene today to review the city’s security measures as well as the capability of law enforcement agencies in preventing and responding to crimes.

Today’s meeting follows a rash of daring incidents that include the fatal shooting of a policeman and a traffic enforcer and the armed robbery in a remittance shop approximately 60 meters away from a police station.

PCAC chairman Eugene Elizalde said that as a recommendatory body, they are “looking at the bigger picture” on these incidents.

“Why are they so bold in doing these crimes? Is it because of drugs? Why are there so many illegal firearms? We try to answer these and stop its proliferation,” he said.

Elizalde said one of PCAC’s priority program is to develop an emergency hotline  similar to the famed 911 system in the US and in developed countries.

“Out hotline numbers are not 100 percent functional,” he said.

Another security infrastructure project the PCAC is pursuing is the installation of additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in crime-prone and heavy traffic areas.

“Kung complete pa ang CCTVs, basin na-capture pa to ang images of the suspects,” he said.

(If only we have a complete CCTV system, we could have had caught the crime incident on video.)

Mayor Michael Rama also acknowledges the need for a better emergency communications system and more CCTV cameras in the city.

“We must complete the needs of the police,” he said.

Aside from technical components, the mayor said the city’s police should have better mobility and training. An an improved community involvement in maintaining peace and order.

Rama is also pushing for the increase of allowances for policemen.

“Padayon ang allowance sa kapulisan. Tungod sa nahitabo, the more tubagon ang ilang panginahanglan,” Rama said.

(The allowances that the city gives to policemen will continue. The killing of PO2 Gerlito Estremos gives us more reason to address the needs of our police officers.)

The PCAC had earlier passed a resolution proposing to increase the city’s monthly allowance to policemen from P2,000 to P4,000.

Rama said finger-pointing will not address the city’s peace and order concerns.

He said peace and order is not the responsibility of the police alone.  It also need the city government’s intervention and the public’s cooperation.

“Mosamot ang crime ug makahibaw ang mga undesirables nga ang sakyanan sa atong kapulisan kagang-kagang,” he said.

(Criminality will worsen if the undesirables know that our police cars are old and dilapidated.)

“I just hope the executive department will get help from the legislative,” he said. /Jose Santino S. Bunachita and Doris C. Bongcac