‘Oplan Bantay Cebu City’ launched

The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) launched Oplan Bantay Cebu City, a program ensuring the safety of establishments from lawless elements.

Chief Inspector Romeo Santander, chief of the City Intelligence Branch (CIB), yesterday led his men in conducting random checks in malls and other establishments.

They first checked downtown establishments before going to uptown malls.

Santander and his men gave tips to security officers on how to implement strict precautionary measures against lawless elements.

Along with this program, Santander said they will constantly check all establishments and deploy more policemen in crime-prone areas.

An intelligence officer also circulated photos of escapees from Eastern Visayas to aid in recapturing the fugitives.

Santander said the photos were posted in ports, terminals, waiting sheds and even at malls’ entryways.

He also asked the barangays to monitor strangers in their respective areas and if their suspicions are aroused, to call for police assistance immediately.

In a related development, the local police in Medellin, northern Cebu have been kept busy in the past week verifying what turned out to be several false alarms on sightings of escapees from the Tacloban city jail who allegedly arrived on their shores by boat.

Police and the local government disclosed that the unfounded reports came from most of Medellin’s 19 barangays. Authorities checked out the veracity of the sightings in areas which had sent out alarms including the island of Gibitngil where the escapees are allegedly hiding.

Fearing for their safety, several families sought shelter at the municipal hall. This incident resulted in the mayor’s posting of the escapees’ photos on the municipality’s Facebook page. A reward will be given should the information lead to the arrest of an escapee. /CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON