Cebu City, Philippines – Dalaguete Mayor Ronald Cesante believes the travel advisory issued by the United Kingdom should be the cue to deploy more law enforcers to their town.
In a statement sent to Cebu Daily News Digital, Cesaste, who was “bewlidered” with the advisory, said they can use the advisory as input in their conceptualizaton and implementation plans for their peace and order.
“It will certainly support our request for the return of our police personnel, who were transferred out during the Naga landslide and other important events in the metro last year,” Cesante said.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom has issued a travel advisory on December 31 cautioning their nationals against all travels to central and western Mindanao following an explosion of a improvised explosive device (IED) in Cotabato City.
The FCO advisory also asked their nationals to avoid travels in the southern section of Cebu, unless necessary.
Cesante said they need at least ten more personnel to augment the present 20 police officers and 4 non-uniformed personnel (NUPs) assigned in the town’s police station.
“Dalaguete Police Station is left with 20 officers officers 4 NUPs. Certainly, it can not cope with a population of 72,000, excluding tourists,” Cesante said.
“For instance, our police substation in Mantalongon, where agri-eco and adventure tourism are flourishing, without mentioning the daily 24 hrs agri trading, left us with no option but provide municipal CSUs (Civil Security Units),” he added.
Cesante said they continue maintaining peace and order in their towns with the help of their locals and tourist accommodation facilities. bjo