THE Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) said it will be establishing police detachments in the mountain barangays.
Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella, PCAC chairperson, said the move seeks to address the proliferation of illegal drugs in the upland villages.
Labella earlier said that he has been receiving reports about the alleged illegal drug activities in the mountain villages, particularly in Pulangbato and Cambinocot.
For Labella, any reported drug activities in the city are alarming, saying, it is the root cause of other crimes.
Aside from addressing drug problems, Labella said the establishment of police detachments will also ensure police visibility in the mountain barangays.
The lack of police visibility in the upland areas was tackled by PCAC following last month’s incident where Eleanor Rivera, 53, was shot by two men after taking her car near Ayala Heights located in Barangay Busay.
On where the police detachments will be established, Labella said it will be in Barangays Mabini, Guba or in Agsungot for the north district.
For the south district, Labella said the areas will be identified by PCAC next week during their regular meeting. Of the 80 barangays in the city, 31 mountain villages.
Asked if PCAC would agree on arming barangay tanods to augment the city’s police force and help solve crimes, Labella said it needs to be studied carefully.
“It is a good suggestion but proper training and identification on who should be given guns should be done,” he said.
Labella said it is not easy to just allow anyone to carry guns. He said they should be emotional stable and have undergone proper training.