Kidapawan prioritizes public safety

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The city government has allotted some 1.5 billion for its five-year peace and order and public safety plan starting 2015 to make it a “hardened target” for criminal elements, including groups out to sow terror in the city and nearby towns in North Cotabato.

City Mayor Joseph Evangelista, chair of the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC), said the budget for the city’s public safety plan would be sourced from the general fund, local disaster risk reduction management fund and 20 percent economic development fund.

He said that at least 281.087 million is allotted for peace and order programs and projects, which include counter insurgency and anti-terrorism; crime prevention and law enforcement activities; programs on anti- illegal drugs, anti-illegal gambling, anti-illegal logging, anti-smuggling, and anti-human trafficking.

The city government has allotted 7.5 million as support to the local police of its continued conduct of monitoring activities of terror groups and other crime groups operating in the city and other parts of Southern Philippines. Also, some 24.42 million is allotted for PNP modernization and advancement programs.

At least 125.67 million is funded for the city’s Traffic Management Unit, Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams, Special Action Teams, and Civil Security Units.