FEEDING the street children, giving gifts to jeepney drivers, offering roses to ladies during Valentine's Day and uprooting marijuana in mountain villages.
These were some of the things done by the personnel of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to bring them closer to the public and these were presented during the fourth year-end summit of Cebu City Philippine National Police (PNP) Advisory Council (CCPAC) held at Robinsons Galleria on Monday afternoon, Nov. 19.
The eradication of P12 million worth of marijuana was done by Cebu City Mobile Force Company personnel led by their commander, Chief Insp. Chuck Barandog.
"The focus was on police community relations visiting mountain barangays that cannot be reached by police stations," Barandog said.
Some of the marijuana plantations were discovered in the barangays of Agsungot and Tagba-o.
The summit carries the theme, “Panaghiusa ang Yawi sa Kalinaw ug Kalambu-an (Unity is Key to Peace and Progress).”
Senior Supt. Royina Garma, CCPO director, said the police and different sectors of the community---business, academe, media, the Church---should unite in the fight against all forms of crime, including illegal drug trade.
"The war on drugs is not the sole responsibility of the PNP. It needs a whole-of-nation approach," she said in her speech. "We need to unite and stop pointing finger."
For his part, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella talked about the City Government's plan not to give allowance to police officers who are not voters in the city.
He said a provision in the Local Government Code states that a city, if it has financial capability, can give stipends to the police and other government workers.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña had reportedly asked the City Council to include the condition that the recipient police officer must be a voter in the city for him to qualify for an allowance of from P2,500 to P6,000 each, depending upon rank.
CCPO has 537 of its more than 1,200 personnel who are living in the city.
Labella said he felt sad about the move.
Osmeña and Labella are running opposite each other in the mayoralty race in Cebu City in the midterm elections in May 2019.
CCPAC chairman City Councilor Joel Garganera, Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, University of Cebu Chancellor Candice Gotianuy and other public officials attended the summit. (KAL)