The refusal of Barangay Inayawan officials to allow the Cebu City police to build a precinct in their area had infuriated its police chief.
“This is my first time to see a barangay captain ayaw magtayo ng police precinct sa tabi o harap ng barnagay hall. Samantala ibang barangay nga dito kulang nalang gusto nila police ang mag duty sa ilang barnagay hall (This is my first time to see a barangay captain who doesn’t want to build a police precinct near the barangay hall. While other barangays here wants the police to man the barangay hall),” said Senior Supt. Royina Garma, Cebu City police chief.
Garma said they were supposed to start construction of the new Police Precinct 7 in Inayawan but the officials blocked the plan, claiming there were irregularities in the deed of donation.
About 10,000 square meters were donated by the barangay during the administration of former barangay captain Lotlot Ignacio-Soon to the Cebu City police for the new precinct.
Garma said she received information alleging that there were illegal drug and gambling activities in the area
But Inayawan Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo said they will consider legal action if the Cebu City police insist on building a police precinct in the disputed area.
In a Facebook message sent to Cebu Daily News, Repollo said they did not
block plans by the Cebu City police to build a precinct in their area. He said they merely advised them to look for another area.
“A lot of residents in Barangay Inayawan don’t want a police precinct in their area since it will cause more traffic. We already offered them an alternative area,” Repolio said.
He said if the city police insist on building in the site they will consider legal action since the previous barangay captain allegedly failed to ask authorization from the
barangay council.
“There is no barangay resolution authorizing the barangay captain to sign a deed of donation. They only have a barangay resolution donating a property.
They don’t even state where specifically the location of the donated,” Repolio said.