TOMAS WILLING TO CHANGE MIND FOR SAY IN CITY’S PEACE, ORDER SITUATION

Grabe ang suporta ni Mayor (The mayor is very supportive of us). Mas grabe pa siya’g suporta kay sa (In fact, he supports us more than the) PNP CCPO DIRECTOR SENIOR SUPT. ROYINA GARMA

in slamming reports that her working relationship with Tomas Osmeña is strained

Mayor Osmeña says the City will continue to pay for the maintenance and registration of vehicles the City issued to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) if the latter deploys Swat personnel in the MPG to maximize security If the mayor pushes through with his “threat,” CCPO Director Garma says they’re looking at several options, including letting police officers use their own vehicles during patrols or asking barangays to let the police ride in their vehicles

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is willing to reconsider his pronouncement that the City Government would stop paying for the maintenance and registration fees of vehicles City Hall issued to the police.

His condition, though, is that the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) should send Swat (Special Weapons and Tactics) personnel in the Mobile Patrol Group (MPG) to maximize security in the city.

“I have no problems with that, but I want to see certain changes that will make them more responsive to the needs of the city. I was told by more than one source that the Swat is not allowed to respond without an order from above. These are some of the items that, to me, are critical,” Osmeña said.

“I just want to assert the position of Cebu City that we have to have a say in our peace and order situation. I’m just doing what’s in the best interest of the city because as far as I know, in all the shooting incidents, the Swat team did not respond,” he added.

If granted, Osmeña wants the at least 60 Swat personnel in the city to join the MPG 24/7.

But before that, CCPO Director Senior Supt. Royina Garma said she will have to discuss with the mayor the technicalities of his request.

“Swat is a specialized unit na. If the police have already exhausted all units in operation, comes na the Swat team. They are specialized in hostage negotiations and snipers, among others. They are an assert team. They do not serve as first responders,” she said.

Garma said that she added four more vehicles on top of the six patrol cars used by the MPG to increase police visibility.

A move to add personnel for MPG to expand their area of coverage is also in place, Garma added.

“Mas marami nang police ang nasa (We’ve already deployed a lot of cops on the) ground. Wa ko nag-ingun na di pwede ang (I’m not saying) Swat sa (cannot be deployed on the) ground, but Swat and MPG are different units. I am deploying Swat as a team already. They’re actually covering areas where they are needed na di kayang i-cover ng MPG (that the MPG can’t cover),” she said.

Garma also slammed reports that her working relationship with Osmeña is strained.

“Grabe ang suporta ni Mayor (The mayor is very supportive of us). Mas grabe pa siya’g suporta kay sa sa (In fact, he supports us more than the) PNP,” Garma said.

The city director admitted that if the City pushes through with Osmeña’s plan to stop paying for the maintenance of the more than 90 City-issued vehicles to the CCPO, it will affect their response time.

“I am a hypocrite kung di ko

sasabihin na (if I don’t say that) it won’t affect... lahat ng diskarte

gagawin natin (we’ll do everything we can),” Garma said.

She cited possible solution like police officers can use their own vehicles during patrols or they can ask the barangays to let the police ride their vehicles.

Garma said she also plans to tap beneficiaries of the 4Ps, or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, to render at least one hour of peacekeeping duties.

Meanwhile, the City Council has asked the Office of the Mayor to reconsider his earlier pronouncement.

In a privilege speech, opposition Councilor Joel Garganera said he was “disappointed” by the development.

“I have never thought that there would come a day that a chief executive of a city like Cebu would go out of his way to forward his ego over the safety and security of our constituents. Constantly degrading the efforts of our police, whom, by the way, sacrifice their lives in order to protect the lives of thousands,” he said.