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 (PSSCC).
Acosta, during the “Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong” media forum on Tuesday, October 10, said that PSSCC head Retired General Benito de Leon through a letter, requested Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to create the center 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 the City Council 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 mai-institutionalize,” (There will be semblance of permanence because if it is an ordinance, even if 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 the council," 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.