Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, director, Cebu City Police Office r
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, the director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they were still waiting for the P400,000 cash aid that the Cebu city government said it has given to the CCPO.
The fund is meant to help the CCPO defray the cost of the massive deployment of policemen into the streets of Cebu City who will be working round the clock to provide security to residents and visitors during the Sinulog Festival week that kicked off today, January 10.
Garma, however, assured that even without the aid from Cebu City, the CCPO is capable of supporting the 6,000 police personnel deployed for the Sinulog celebrations.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has provided P200,000 to the CCPO for the food of the personnel during deployment; and P100,000 allowance for the gasoline of police vehicles.
The Cebu City Police Advisory Council has also provided P60,000 in cash aide to the CCPO for the food of the police forces who will be on duty for 24 hours from January 10 to January 20, the culminating day of the Sinulog Festival highlighted by a High Mass and a mardi gras-like grand parade. Last year, the Mass and the grand parade drew two million people into the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño and the streets of the city.
Garma said that the money that the Cebu city government promised will also be allocated for food.
“Ang food gyud ato priority kay ato nakita ganina, sa kadaghang tawo dili na kahawa ato police para mokaon,” said Garma.
Garma said that each commander of the 11 police stations in Cebu City has been tasked to coordinate with the barangays to borrow tents ans barricades that the CCPO can use for the Sinulog events.
“Amo ra pud iuli ig after kay para lang naa tay magamit,” said Garma.
Garma is planning to borrow more barricades to create special lanes for women, children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWD) at the entrance and exit of the Basilica./elb