City Council wants Osmeña to return aid to police

THE Cebu City Council yesterday urged Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to reconsider his decision to cut off support to the police force in order to end an impasse with the Philippine National Police (PNP).

During the regular session yesterday, the city council stressed that giving financial and other material assistance to the police is mandated by law, as a means to maintain peace and order in the city.

The council’s move came after Councilor Pastor Jun Alcover Jr., in a privilege speech, warned that Cebuanos would suffer the most in the seeming conflict between Osmeña, on one hand, and the PNP and the National Police Commission (Napolcom), on the other.

Alcover then moved that his privilege speech be approved in a form of a resolution, a motion that was seconded by Councilor Raymond Garcia. The motion was approved when none of the city councilors present, including those allied with Osmeña, made a move to oppose it.

The Napolcom, in an en banc resolution dated Aug. 10, decided to strip the mayor of his operational supervision and control over the police in response to the mayor’s decision to withdraw support from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

A day after, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) also decided to recall all three policemen assigned as security details to the mayor.

Alcover, who belongs to the opposition Team Rama, said the actions and pronouncements of Osmeña did not conform with the provisions of the Local Government Code (LGC) that required local government units (LGUs) to provide services essential to the promotion of the general welfare of its constituents.

Alcover believed that Napolcom would not have taken a drastic action if the mayor has also not acted against the best interest of the local police.

By losing control over the police, the city government’s capability to manage the peace and order situation in the city has been adversely affected, while the police have also lost vital resources to handle its peacekeeping work, thereby putting residents, local businesses and even tourists at risk, he added.

“Kini ang mamahimong mag-antos o biktima niining walay pulos, wala kinahanglana ug malikayan unta nga panghitabo karon! Dili angayang magmaya ang katawhan niini (These are the people who will eventually become the victims of this useless, unnecessary and avoidable situation that we are now confronted with. The public should not be happy about this),” said Alcover.

Alcover said he was willing to ask the mayor on bended knees to make the latter reconsider his action against the city police force.

Councilor Sisinio Andales, a staunch ally of Osmeña, however, clarified that the mayor did not withdraw “all the support” to the police.

Andales pointed out that the city is still giving allowances to CCPO personnel and that the patrol cars previously given to the CPPO have not been taken back and are still being used by the city police.