Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Rama asks police to improve
DESPITE police officials’ pronouncements that Cebu is peaceful, Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama asked for better crime solution efficiency and for authorities to apprehend local contacts of robbery groups.
He said the police are more believable if they are able to arrest those who coddle and provide information to robbers.
Rama made the statement during a discussion on the Meloy Garcia robbery group, which was tagged in the La Nueva robbery in Cebu City, where a security guard was killed, and Peninsula Rural Bank Inc. (Penbank) Bank in Mandaue City recently.
Just yesterday, the same group struck in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, killing a security guard. One robber, though, was wounded and captured during a shootout with other guards.
“How can they (robbers) be adept in the situation? How could that happen unless the robbers are smarter than us,” Rama said during the 888 News Forum held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.
Aside from Rama, Police Regional Office 7 Deputy Regional Director for Administration Ronald Roderos, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Acting Director Patrocinio Comendador, CCPO Deputy Director for Operations Pablo Labra, and Mandaue City Police Office Director Alexander Abadinas also attended the forum.
Mobile alarm
Information that authorities gathered showed that the La Nueva robbers’ guide knew how law enforcers work and even employed “police lingua” as shown in a map the police obtained.
Rama asked the police whether they are “sleeping with some enemies.”
There should be apprehensions so businesses will not regret spending or enrolling in the City’s Mobile Alarm Remote System (Mars), he said.
After the La Nueva robbery, Mayor Tomas Osmeña offered Mars for free.
Mars works by hooking up subscribers’ mobile phones to a central system at City Hall, which alerts authorities in just three seconds.
Roderos said that overall, peace and order in Central Visayas is good that the region was picked as model for others to emulate in a recent national security council in Bohol.
One particular indicator, he said, is that even Tagalogs have come to Cebu to work here. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 29, 2007 issue)
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