PRO-7 unfazed with Osmeña’s threat
The Police Regional Office (PRO)7 is unfazed with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s threats of filing charges against one of its officials, following the word war between the police management and the local chief executive.
“Mag file siya? Eh, di mag file siya. Kung may nakikita siyang violation ng Philippine National Police (PNP). We will just do ang trabaho namin as PNP. We will just do what we have to do as members of the PNP,” said Senior Superintendent Angelito Dumangeng, the PRO-7 Deputy Director for Operations.
Dumangeng was accompanied by the chief of the Police Community Relations Office, Senior Superintendent Renato Dugan; Regional Chief Directorial Staff Senior Superintendent Ronald Oliver Lee; and spokesperson Superintendent Reyman Tolentin.
Osmeña’s threats to file charges to police stemmed from his memorandum to Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Royina Garma on August 8 to deploy permanent detachment in Barangay Sinsin.
“Deploy a permanent detachment of eight policemen to man a checkpoint in Barangay Sinsin under Barangay Captain Aurelio Laspoña to screen for illegal hauling of aggregates and transport of firearms and drugs,” read a portion of Osmeña’s memorandum to Garma.
“I will file a complaint. I’m authorized to deploy. If they’re going to disobey me, I know that. But I just want to put it on record,” Osmeña had told reporters.
However, Garma in press conference on Wednesday wants to distinguish the difference between deploying and having a permanent detachment.
“Let’s be careful with the word, deploy is different from establish. So if you want, just mere deployment to put police there to be present or conduct or initiate police activities, to deter ang pagpasok or pagexit (hitmen as quoted by Osmeña), Yes we will. But to establish a detachment is another story,” Garma said.
In a related matter, Deputy City Director for Administration Superintendent Artemio Ricabo told The FREEMAN that they have to validate Osmeña’s information.
He said that they cannot carelessly deploy cops in without A1 information that has been validated considering that police are already undermanned with Cebu City’s populace.
As of the moment CCPO only has 1,193 personnel, around 900 are deployed in different police stations, the streets, and other police units, while the rest is in the headquarters for administrative work.
To recall, Osmeña has been lashing out at the police forces, in the heights of the botched assassination attempt on Barangay Tejero Councilman Jessielou Cadungog.
Police claimed that the alleged hitman PO3 Eugene Calumba was out on a surveillance operation.
As it developed, Cadungog is facing charges for murder and attempted murder while his driver William Macaslang Jr., who admitted shooting Calumba, was charged for murder.
Meanwhile, Calumba’s driver Michael Banua, was also charged for attempted homicide.
Osmeña also expressed his distaste for the police following the filing of a string of criminal charges against Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak.
Osmeña went as much as dropping names of alleged hitmen and accusing that they are being housed in PC Hills, a place where police officials live.
The police had already urged him to reveal his source for validation but Osmeña did not prattle.
Dumangeng expressed they are open to dialogue with the local chief executive.
“Hopefully, sino ba naman ang hindi gusto? Dapat sana we will work together, wala namang makikinabang diyan kundi ang community. Hopefully we can just work together, and improve yung peace and order situation ng region,” he said.