POP chief Nagiel Banacia, who also heads the city disaster management office, outlines their budget to the City Council (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA).
THE Cebu City Council pushed for a bigger budget for repairs and improvement of the city’s 11 police precincts in yesterday’s budget hearing for the Peace and Order Program (POP) office.
Councilor Jose Daluz III, who sits in the council’s committee on budget and finance, said while purchasing lots and building new precincts may take time, the police can consider renting buildings standing two to three storeys for their offices.
“We can try and rent buildings for maybe five years while we are building new police stations so that we can really see change already,” Daluz said.
He said the current bungalow-type precincts in the city are not enough anymore.
Daluz said if there are companies that would offer to build police precincts for free, they should be asked to build two- to three-storey buildings that can house a bigger office and more cells.
Councilor Joy Pesquera, who heads the committee on budget and finance, said the city and the police should consider buying lots in other areas in the city for bigger precincts.
Detention cells in the city’s 11 police precincts were overcrowded due to the intensified operations against illegal drugs.
POP office chief Nagiel Bañacia welcomed the proposal, saying the city can propose these plans to interested companies in the city like the Cebu IT Park and the Cebu Business Parks which already have police sub-precincts.
“There are some big establishments that offer to have police and fire stations near their area because it will decrease their insurance premium if they can improve security and safety. I think it’s good to pursue,” Bañacia said.
The POP office is asking for a P293.9 million budget for next year.
Banacia said P53 million of that amount goes to capital outlay projects.
Banacia said their P5 million proposal for the repairs and renovation of police precincts is based on requests by the police chiefs.