IN 2014, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Noel Gillamac wants to go hammer and tongs after the proliferation of illegal drugs.
“This is one of the major reasons there are many crime incidents,” he said.
According to a report from Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group (RAIDSOTG) of Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, there are 159 out of 1,066 barangays in Cebu Province that are still affected by drugs.
Gillamac said they have received reports that drugs from Cebu Province come from Cebu City and these are distributed in far-flung towns.
Apart from this, the police official also wants to address cases against women and children, particularly the cybersex cases in Cordova town.
He said they will coordinate with the Provincial Government and non-government organizations advocating women and childrens’ rights to prevent parents from exploiting their children.
“We need to educate these people,” he added.
Term
Gillamac has been with the provincial police headquarters for four months after he was installed as director last August.
During the interview, he said he also wants police personnel to be more visible and always be ready to respond to any concern from the community.
For eight months alone, the total crime tally in Cebu Province was at 12,576, which is higher compared to the last two years’.
“Our municipalities are progressive. It is but natural for crimes to increase,” he said.
The increase also came after incidents recorded in the barangay level were already included by police to get the complete picture of the peace and order situation of a certain area.
“For me, commitment and dedication are very big factors to maintain peace and order in the whole province,” Gillamac said.
To achieve their plan, he urged the local government officials and stakeholders to support their local police.
“Without their trust and confidence, we will have problems,” Gillamac said.
Under his command, he had also implemented a system so public service would be continuous.
He directed town police chiefs to submit the duty details and schedules of their stations every week. This came after Gillamac learned that some policemen report on duty for the whole week then take another week off from duty.
“This practice is called among police officers as tumba-tumba,” he said.
Localization
To address this problem, Gillamac said they are implementing localization so police officers are assigned near their homes.
“I’m very confident our police will do their part in maintaining peace and order next year,” he said.