Garma to Cebu City government: We need more support in securing Sinulog festivity

Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office director, is appealing for more support from the city government for the security forces securing the Sinulog celebration. (CDN Digital file photo)

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City police is seeking more support from the Cebu City government especially in the provision of food and financial assistance for the security forces on the ground securing the Sinulog festivity.

Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said that she was hoping that the city government would heed her appeal for more assistance since the support it provided to the CCPO for the Sinulog security was not enough.

Garma said in a press briefing on Wednesday, January 9, that the city government had not increased its support to the CCPO for the Sinulog in spite of the 5,000 augmentation of forces and the 1,000 force multipliers such as tanods for the festivities. 

“Present sila pagmeeting. Pero meals and additional pagkain wala pa silang binibigay. Naa silay support pero I have not received 100 percent commitment,” said Garma.

“I always hear verbal support pero commitment wala pa. And its already the ninth of January. Titignan na lang natin,” she added.

However, Garma said that other agencies and organization including the Catholic Church had committed to provide food and even monetary support to the CCPO.

“Shoulder na nila ang pagkain, ang Church. Nagbigay sila ng support sa mga police na deployed sa church. Yung LGU (local government unit), wala po yun,” said Garma.

Garma said that the augmented forces from the Regional Mobile Force and Regional Police Safety Batalion will also provide the food and needs their own police.

The CCPO, for its part, will provide potable water to the augmented police forces and force multipliers and use all available resources, however meager, to support the force. 

“Pagkaksyahin nalang namin kung anong resources namin, for now. Concern lang talaga namin yung pagkain sa 19th and 20th (January) kasi hindi pwede umalis yung pulis natin sa area para kumain,” said Garma.

Garma said that she is “full” of hope from concerned citizens who are supportive of the Philippines National Police (PNP) for the Sinulog./dbs