Friday, November 16, 2007 CH lawyers to help defend CCPO men
CEBU City Police Office (CCPO) personnel no longer have to worry on how to defend themselves once they face harassment cases from those they arrest in the course of their duties.
This was after the Cebu City Government, represented by Vice Mayor Michael Rama, entered into an agreement with 16 City Hall lawyer consultants for them to render free legal service to the CCPO.
In the presence of CCPO Director Patrocinio Comendador and chiefs of the 11 police stations, Rama, lawyer Virginia Redelosa and the lawyers signed the three-page memorandum of agreement (MOA) yesterday afternoon.
Comendador thanked the City for the gesture, saying it helps boost the morale of his men.
Policemen often end up being charged with so-called harassment cases ranging from abuse of authority to theft by those they arrest during operations. And because the PNP could not provide lawyers to all of them, policemen often play it safe to avoid harassment suits.
That could change with the signing of the MOA.
“If we are one, we have the power…. And together as one, we can fight as one,” Vice Mayor Michael Rama said in a short speech prior to the MOA signing.
He lauded the lawyers, led by former city councilor Manuel Legaspi, for going beyond what was contained in their respective contracts with the City Government by acceding to his request.
Legaspi said the MOA is “principally for policemen sued in the line of duty” or those who face cases that stemmed from them doing their jobs as law enforcers.
According to the MOA, the City Government will form a screening committee that will determine whether a policeman could avail himself of the consultants’ services.
Yesterday, Legaspi assigned a lawyer to each of the 11 police stations, while the remaining six lawyers were distributed among the CCPO’s special units like the Mobile Patrol Group and the Traffic Group.
The lawyers, though, are “on call” and not required to show up and hold fort in the police stations. (RHM)
