Crimes dip in Metro Cebu due to APEC police force

No crime related to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings have been reported so far.

The police intend to keep it that way in the next two weeks.

Total crime volume in Central Visayas went down three percent since July, with theft and rape cases decreasing by 14 percent, said Police Regional Office (PRO-7) chief of staff Col. Rey Lyndon Lawas.

“The bulk of this decrease is in Metro Cebu,” he said during a  Kapistorya forum at the Capitol yesterday.

He said the decrease may have been the result of increased police visibility because of the APEC meetings being held in Cebu City.

“What might have contributed to this? The (increased) number of security personnel as well as other uniformed public servants deployed all over Metro Cebu,” he said.

Over 3,000 police personnel from different headquarters in  Central Visayas have been fielded for APEC duty in Cebu City, where meetings are held in four hotel venues.

Barangay tanods, criminology students, and other volunteers  bring the total  security force  to more than 6,000.

MEALS

Public attention was drawn to the no-frills accommmodations of the police who slept in hammocks or cardboard sheets in public buildings,  and their spartan meals.

Although a P300 a day meal budget was prepared,  some policemen had to make do with P50 meals in the first few days till the  full allowance was issued, not in cash but in packs of cooked food prepared by various caterers.

While some policemen complained of “degrading meals,”  others were  thankful for being well fed.

P02 Juanito Rañoa from the Carlos P. Garcia Police Station in Bohol was  happy with his packed lunch of two cups of rice, three dishes  (chicken curry, fish fillet and pinakbet or mixed vegetables), a cookie for dessert and a 350 ml bottle of mineral water.

“Wa tay problema, okay kaayo. Heavy meal gyud . (I don’t have any problem. It’s really okay for a heavy meal),” he said.

Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr., chief of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said his office has not received any complaint about meals. The budget is P100 per meal or P300 a day per policeman.

“Their  only concern is how the caterer managed to cram everything into their packed meals,” Natu-el said.

He said he  contracted the services of the former Lola Inda’s, which is now known as Pinoy Adobo.

Natu-el said each meal has “go, grow and glow” nutrition components.

A packed meal contains two cups of rice, pork or fish meat, vegetables and a dessert. This goes with water, juice or a softdrink.

ALLOWANCE

The  Cebu City Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) yesterday agreed to match the P300 per day allowance for each  policeman and volunteer who is not covered by the PNP budget.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the amount will be taken from the city’s disaster fund.

About 180 traffic enforcers and nearly 500 Cebu City volunteers and barangay tanods have each been allotted P200 a day. The budget for the barangay tanods is funded by the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) budget, he added.

“The meals are delivered to them in their assigned areas so that they won’t have to leave the premises,” Labella said.

Among the volunteers are 80 University of Cebu Criminology students.

Natu-el corrected earlier reports that policemen housed at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) are deployed in Mandaue City.

He said policemen deployed in the APEC ceremonial route in  Mandaue stay at vacant building of the Department of General Services (DGS) or the Norkis Park.

CHALLENGES

Lawas of the PRO-7 yesterday thanked the public for  cooperating by heeding  traffic rules and  re-routing schemes, during the APEC period from Aug. 22 to Sept. 11.

He said a successful  hosting  of APEC was a big challenge for the police and other  government agencies.

“There may have already been templates set by the APEC National Organizing Council, but this is all new to the local level, he said.

“We are all new to this. We may have conducted  security for ASEAN meetings in (2007), but this is bigger in scope,” he said. Cebu also hosted APEC meetings in 1996.

Over 3,200 delegates are expected to come in and out of Cebu for the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) and Related Meetings until Sept. 6.

Ministerial meetings on structural reform and finance will follow until Sept. 11. Ministerial meetings on transportation and energy are also scheduled to be held in Cebu in October.

Lawas said security personnel are on the job for 24 hours in two shifts. Each personnel spends 12 hours at his or her post.

“We hope you understand  if you see them relaxing, for as long as it is during a lull or vacuum time. You can’t just stand there like a statue for 12 hours,” said Lawas.

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