Acosta to back PSSCC institutionalization

DAVAO City Councilor Mabel Acosta said that she will back the proposed creation of a separate division for the Public Safety and Security Command Center.

Acosta during the Pulong Pulong ni Pulong media forum yesterday said that Public Safety and Security Command Center head Retired General Benito de Leon through a letter, requested to Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio for the creation of the PSSCC as a regular department.

Acosta who said that she was only given a copy of the letter said that De Leon attached the proposed budgetary requirement for the proposed department.

She assured that she will immediately act on the item once the city mayor will decide to endorse it to the legislative body.

“So naghatag naman sila ug letter kay Mayor Sara, so if and when the city hall will forward it to Sangguniang Panlungsod and it will be referred to peace and public safety, we will work on it... if it will require an ordinance, for example you want to make plantilla positions, we will do whatever it takes for as long as suportahan ni Mayor Sara ang request sa PSSCC nga mahimo jud siya nga department (A letter was already forwarded to the City Mayor so if and when the City Hall will forward it to the Sangguniang Panlungsod and it will be referred to the Peace and Public Safety committee, we will work on it... if it will require an ordinance for example, you want to make plantilla positions, we will do whatever it takes as long as Mayor Sara will support the request for the creation of PSSCC as a department),” she said.

Acosta added that “semblance of permanence” will become the primary advantage once the center will become a separate division.

She said that once the PSSCC will become a separate department not with an executive order as basis, but ordinance, it can exist whoever sits as mayor.

“May semblance of permanence because if it is an ordinance... kahit magkaroon ng change of personalities on the government on the elective positions it will stay kumbaga ma-iinstitionalize,” (There will be semblance of permanence because if it is an ordinance, even if there the administration will change it will stay, it will become an institution), she said.

Acosta added that as of the moment PSSCC functions as a coordinating office through the strength of an executive order.

“Let us wait for Mayor Sara, it is her prerogative if she wishes for (PSSCC) to become a department, para magkaroon siya ng stability and permanence as an ordinance. We will be waiting if and when it will be endorsed to Sangguniang Panlungsod,” she said.

Moreover, Majority floor leader and committee on laws, rules, privileges, and ordinances chair Councilor Bernard Al-ag also welcomes the move for the institutionalization of the PSSCC and committed that he will back the item should it be forwarded to the council. KVC on the top of the slope which led to the landslide.

“The primary reason of the landslide was because of the developments incurred outside our project, which is above the slope,” Pequit said.

She said that tracing the history of the area where the landslide has occurred will show that there have been landslides before in the same area as shown by some debris. But structures were still built on the slopes, like the Seventh Day Adventist property and other private properties.

“Because it is standing on landslide debris, that particular area is already weak and made of unconsolidated materials. Aside from that, the development there is a diversion of a waterway, which I believe does not have any government permit and that diversion of waterway have caused additional weight,” Pequit said.

Pequit added that they did not coordinate with the MGB prior to the project since they have known that the area is already landslide prone.

She said they are already preparing for the mitigation measures the MGB suggested in their September 30, 2017 ocular but the landslide happened.

DPWH Spokesperson Dean Ortiz said they intend to conduct lowering of the slope through riprapping of the area and to prevent erosion, they intend to install coconut nets.

DPWH Engineer Michael Dela Vega committed that they will finish the road clearing operations within five days.

Meanwhile, a representative of the radio station compound now teetering on the brink of the landslide area has refused to the issue any comment yet on the possible charges and demolition of their establishment.

A staff of Hope Radio told Sun. Star Davao yesterday said that their management will issue their official statement once the clearing operations will be done.

The radio station is one of two establishments which had been issued with notice of violation by the City Engineer's Office (CEO) for not getting a building permit prior to building of structures in the area.

Aside from the Hope Radio, CEO also issued a notice of violation to the owner of the residential house in the area. The City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) also said that they are planning to file charges to violators of the zoning ordinance. KVC