Sinas: Police working to prevent killings
Police Regional Office (PRO)7 Director Debold Sinas said that the policemen are doing their best to prevent crimes and illegal activities amid pronouncement that Cebu City is no longer safe with the series of killings.
“The police initiated more crime prevention programs. We are doing our best to fill more policemen on the streets to answer all their concerns and hopefully it will prevent further incidents from coming,” Sinas said.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña had earlier said that Cebu City is not safe and has become a criminal city, especially with the recent death of Police Officer 3 Calumba and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency agent Baby “Earl” Rallos.
“We do respect their comments, for their comments will serve as an input to our crime prevention programs and crime solution efforts,” Sinas said.
Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma said she feels safe despite Osmeña's statement.
Earlier, Osmeña applauded Garma for deploying more policemen around Cebu City.
Garma fielded 180 personnel from CCPO from the 11 precincts around Cebu.
She also requested for 20 police outposts, so she can provide assigned policemen, especially in areas where crimes are rampant and prominent.
In addition to the policemen, Garma also contacted local barangay units, such as the tanods, to assist the policemen that she deployed.
Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said that he is still confident in the police force in the province, despite allegations that the police are instigators in the series of unresolved shooting incidents.
"I cannot draw any conclusion unless there is a full investigation. I do not speculate on that," he said, when asked if he believes that police personnel are behind the unresolved killings.
As head of the Regional Peace and Order Council, he continues to urge the PNP to step up their performance by enriching their intelligence network and in forming a separate task force or composite group whose main focus is the solving of the shooting incidents.
"We're dealing with masked assailants so they have to strengthen their intelligence work," he said.
With this in mind, he upholds his description of Cebu Province as "relatively safe" while agreeing to Mayor Tomas Osmeña's statement that Cebu City has become a "criminal city".