Cebu City not safe for narco guys; leave now: police chief
CCPO director reminds them that they should have heeded President Duterte’s previous ultimatum to leave Sr. Supt. Royina Garma sees no link between the killings of a Barangay Kalunasan councilor and a former Lorega-San Miguel official Mayor Tomas Osmeña offers a P100T-reward to anyone who can lead to the arrest of the gunmen in both killings
Leave Cebu City as soon as possible.
Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Senior Supt. Royina Garma aired the warning to drug personalities in the wake of the spate of drug-linked killings.
Garma said Cebu City is not safe for those who continue to operate or protect the illegal drug trade.
“But I want to make the city safe for the people who love peace and hate drugs,” she said.
She said they haven’t seen any connection between the killing of two barangay councilors except that they were involved in illegal drugs.
Kalunasan Councilor Roel Mabano was shot in broad daylight near the barangay hall last July 10. Former Barangay Lorega-San Miguel councilor Glenn Manal was shot at 11:30 p.m. of July 11 on Imus Road in Sitio Lomar, T. Padilla, Cebu City.
“That’s why if you’re involved in drugs, you leave the city if you want to live in peace. That’s how simple it is. Otherwise, this will happen,” Garma said in Tagalog, referring to the deaths of Mabano and Manal.
She said Manal was on the watchlist of the Parian Police Station.
“He reportedly appeared in the Parian Police Station during the height of the Oplan Tokhang,” she said.
Garma gave Parian police 48 hours to solve the deaths.
“I was told that there was a witness… The witness is still hesitant,” she said.
Manal was on his way home from a vigil when he was killed.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s ultimatum to drug personalities was enough, Garma said.
“The orders were already given. Leave the city, find a place where drugs is okay so punta ka dun (and go there) where drug users and pushers are welcome,” she said.
Garma also urged the community to help them in the fight against illegal drugs.
“The ratio of our police who handle drug operations ay kokonti (is small) and we even conduct an implementation of the ordinances na aware ang community and yet they are intentionally violating it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is offering a reward of P100,000 to anyone who can give information that will lead to the arrest of the gunmen of Mabano and Manal.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said the reward will come from his own pocket.
“We’re taking care of everything but I’m offering a P100,000 reward to any information that will lead to the arrest and conviction to the killers of Manal and Mabano. P100,000 each (for the informant of Mabano and Manal). People need money and we need the information,” he said.
Osmeña confirmed that Manal was the head of the Barangay Mayor’s Office in Lorega-San Miguel.
As for reports that Manal was on the drugs watchlist, Osmeña said he doesn’t believe that Manal was involved in illegal drugs.
“He was allegedly involved before but now, no. His father was in jail. I know him. I don’t think he was involved in the past few months,” he said.
The mayor also announced that he will suspend for one month the honorarium of tanods in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel because the place is “notorious” for its illegal drug activities.
“I’m sending a message and I’m going to do this to other barangays. And we will take additional steps as we go along,” he said. /