She also plans to transfer the Don Andres Soriano (DAS) police substation to a better location, as it currently sits in the middle of the barangay’s plaza and has no outside phone line.
For his part, Toledo City Police Chief Leodegardo Acebedo said he spoke with the Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (ACMDC) manager recently and learned that full rehabilitation of the mine is set to begin within the month.
Acebedo said he expects around 3,000 workers to troop to DAS (formerly Lutopan). And more will come once the mine becomes fully operational by the middle of next year.
With the enlivened atmosphere in the city, petty crimes are also expected to rise.
Toledo City only has 56 policemen, including the 10 assigned at the DAS substation.
On the mining operation, Zambo said that the ACMDC “will need other workers who are skilled, and not all of them can be from Toledo City.”
Permit
But she would make sure that 70 percent of the workers are from the city. She also wants those from outside the city to get a working permit from the City Hall.
Zambo assured that those who would get permits and get prioritized for job openings would be accepted based on skills and qualifications, and not on political affiliations.
Acting CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria said more policemen are expected as soon as the Regional Mobile Group releases new officers to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
He, however, said that 60 for Toledo are too many, as he also plans to augment the police personnel of Lapu-Lapu City and those of Bogo, Carcar and Naga.
He explained that he can only provide personnel based on the number of those sent to the command by the PRO 7.
And the lack of police personnel is a problem in the PNP nationwide.
He expected the CPPO to be prioritized, though, because of the conversion of three towns into cities, and Lapu-Lapu’s impending reclassification into a highly urbanized city.
With the change, the current police chiefs of Bogo, Naga and Carcar should also be replaced with those holding the rank of at least superintendent. (MEA)
