New CCPO chief to create female Swat team, educate against rape

CEBU. Police Colonel Royina Garma, newly-installed Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, and Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas at the turnover of office ceremony.  (Photo by Arni Aclao)
CEBU. Police Colonel Royina Garma, newly-installed Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, and Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas at the turnover of office ceremony. (Photo by Arni Aclao)

AN ALL-FEMALE Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) team and an Oplan Tokhang against rapists are among the plans of new Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Gemma Vinluan.

Vinluan formally assumed office on Thursday, July 11, 2019, replacing her classmate, Col. Royina Garma.

Garma has sought early retirement from the force to be the new general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Vinluan grew up in Pampanga. Her father was a policeman, and her mother, a teacher.

She served as the chief of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) in Luzon.

While she considers retaining her predecessor’s ongoing and pending programs, Vinluan said she is determined to pursue the creation of an all-female Swat team to empower female police officers to perform not only office work but also conduct actual operations.

“I will be with you in all of your initiated operations. I want you to give your best, even to surpass the performance of your male counterparts,” she said during her speech.

She said the new Swat team will be composed of intellectual female police officers who are also adept in the martial arts.

Vinluan said she also plans to implement livelihood programs for the wives of police officers who earn less than P10,000 a month.

Vinluan said one of her goals is to eradicate all forms of child abuse in the city, particularly rape.

“If there’s a Tokhang (Oplan Toktok-Hangyo) for drug addicts, I would also like to conduct the same against all rapists here in Cebu City. We will have regular visitations to schools and we will put help desks. We will campaign against all forms of abuse,” she said.

According to her, rape is the second most rampant gender-based violence in the Philippines, which has been largely ignored.

Vinluan said she will also talk to the city prosecutor and the city legal team for the rehabilitation of rugby-sniffing minors on the streets. She said she will also try to declare a barangay drug-free.

“There has been no barangay yet which has been declared drug-free in Cebu City. We will coordinate with Pdea (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) 7 on how we can do that,” she said.

The pending initiatives of Garma include the improvement of the CCPO’s firing range and the enhancement of the City’s Tourist Police Unit at the Cebu City Hall.

Vinluan warned her chiefs of police and constituents not to be lax in their duties and to observe transparency, as she will be monitoring them.

She also assured that there will be no reshuffling of CCPO personnel.

During the conduct of operations, she advised police officers not to hesitate to neutralize suspects who resist arrest.

“Just count one to two. I’m not saying to kill, but to restrain them from harming other people,” she said. (WBS)

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