CEBU City requires nine additional police stations to meet the target of 20 stations required to serve its growing population, a Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) official said on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024.
Police Lt. Col. Maria Theresa Macatangay, CCPO deputy director for operations, said in a report from the City’s Public Information Office that under Philippine National Police (PNP) regulations, Cebu City is entitled to at least 20 police stations.
However, the number of stations can also be determined by the city’s population size and geographical area.
Currently, Cebu City has 11 police stations, with two additional police community precincts (PCPs) set to be inaugurated soon.
The 11 existing police stations are in barangays Parian, Osmeña Boulevard, Cebu City Pier 1, Mabolo, Carbon Public Market, Sawang Calero, Poblacion Pardo, Talamban, Guadalupe, Labangon and Mambaling.
The two upcoming PCPs in barangays Adlaon and Malubog are intended to supplement the services provided by the existing police stations.
Under Republic Act 6975, the ideal police–to–population ratio on a nationwide average is one policeman for every 500 persons; however, for cities and municipalities with higher population density and demand, the ideal ratio is one policeman for every 1,000 persons.
According to the 2020 Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority, Cebu City has a population of 964,169, and out of 80 barangays, Guadalupe logs the highest population at around 70,000.
‘No response’
In a text message on Saturday, Oct. 5, Cebu City Councilor and chair of the council’s committee of peace and order Phillip Zafra told SunStar Cebu that the City already submitted a request to the Department of the Interior and Local Government two years ago to increase the number of police stations in the City.
However, Zafra said no progress has been made on their request.
“It needs an additional budget from the national government because we need to hire additional police officers as well as budget for the additional stations that will be stationed,” said Zafra.
Macatangay, however, said that the establishment of additional police stations would take more time.
She, however, remained optimistic that under the current PNP leadership and with the support of the Cebu City government, the CCPO could inaugurate more police stations in the city, especially in mountain barangays and areas where police presence is needed.
PCPs
Meanwhile, Macatangay said Adlaon PCP’s jurisdictions cover Adlaon and neighboring barangays, such as Tabonan, Paril, Taptap, Guba, Lusaran, Cambinocot, and Tagbao, which were previously under the watch of Talamban and Mabolo police stations.
Meanwhile, Malubog’s PCP covers Malubog and neighboring barangays that were under the Pardo and Mabolo police stations, such as barangays Sudlon 1 and 2; Sinsin, Buot-Taop, Bonbon, Babag, Malubog, Busay, Sirao, and Pung-ol.
PCPs serve as an extended facility of already existing police stations.
“By itself, it can function as its own police station. That means we can add more personnel; we can add more resources. It will have its own identity puhon (in the future),” Macatangay said.
She added that the CCPO also has a City Mobile Force Company detachment located in barangays Pung-ol and Sudlon 2. / EHP