THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will beef up its presence on the streets in time for the opening of classes next week.
To secure the students on their first day of school, policemen will be deployed outside of the schools, said CCPO director Senior Supt. Joel Doria.
“Tututukan natin ‘yung mga areas na maraming estudyante. Doon ‘yung concentration natin,” said Doria.
(We will be focusing on areas where students are most found. Our concentration will be in those places.)
For this school year, public schools in the primary, elementary and high school levels will open on June 4.
Some private schools, on the other hand, will start their classes on the second Monday of June.
Doria said they will put assistance desk especially in schools that are far away from police stations.
“Hindi naman tayo pwede sa loob (We are not allowed inside schools) so assistance desk will be deployed,” Doria said.
The police are also coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the barangay officials in the city for the implementation of the curfew on minors.
Cebu City Ordinance Number 1786 prohibits minors “of any gender or sex, below 18, to wander, stray, saunter, loiter or ramble outside their residence within Cebu City between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. when they are not accompanied by any parent or guardian.” Doria said there will be beat patrols not just
to secure the schools but also to ensure that high school students, especially those attending night classes, will not loiter around the city during or after their classes have ended.
So far, Doria said the city does not have any gang-related incident that involved students, but the police would not be complacent about it.
Doria also urged the parents to also secure, guide and monitor their children’s whereabouts.
“Magulang din naman ako. Kailangan din bigyan ng gabay ng mga magulang ang kanilang mga anak. Bilang magulang kailangan din talaga nating tutukan ng husto ang ating mga anak,” Doria said.
(I am also a parent. These students still need the guidance of their parents. As a parent you also need to focus on your children.)