No state of lawlessness in Cebu —Sinas

WHAT state of lawlessness?

Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), has dismissed claims by a businessman that there is a state of lawlessness in Cebu and that police have lost control over the peace and order situation here.

He said the killings were all isolated.

“Define lawlessness please,” said Sinas in a press conference on Monday.

“I don’t think nga nabalaka sila kay wala may gipatay diri nga outright (I don’t think that the businessmen were worried because there were no outright killings here),” he said.

“There’s a reason behind those killings especially those killed during police operations,” he added.

Cebu’s business community and private sector leaders recently expressed alarm over the continued spate of killings in Cebu, saying these incidents indicated a growing state of lawlessness.

Sinas said he had been talking to the businessmen during their regular Regional Advisory Council meetings but had not heard that they were concerned about the killings.

The police general assured businessmen that Cebu remained safe amid the unsolved killings.

Oh Sung Yong of the South Korean Consulate in Cebu said they had complete trust in the local police following the arrest of the suspects in the slay of Korean Lee Young Ho who was shot dead inside a motel in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City on Aug. 26.

“The tourists are safe in Cebu and if there are any Korean nationals who are victimized in Cebu, it is important to us that the suspects are arrested,” he said in an interview.

South Korea on Monday donated 22 patrol vehicles to PRO-7 as a gesture of partnership and cooperation.

Three more patrol cars will arrive in the coming days.

The patrol cars will be distributed to the police stations in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu.

The South Korean Consulate is also expected to donate weapons, equipment, and bulletproof vests to the PRO-7 next week.