Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), greets some village leaders of San Fernando town during a lull in the dialogue with the town’s barangay officials held at Camp Sergio Osmeña, the PRO-7 headquarters in Cebu City, on Jan. 26, 2019. |CDNDigital photo/Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines–Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said he will be deploying more police forces to San Fernando town following the recent violent deaths of incumbent public officials.
Sinas said the move was in response to the plea of San Fernando town village chiefs who have been concerned with messages circulating on mobile phone text messaging and on social media that more officials in the town are being targeted by the so-called mastermind in the ambush of Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya.
Reluya was on board her van with her husband and four others when they were waylaid past 6 p.m. along the highway in Barangay Linao, Talisay City on January.
They mayor’s husband, Councilor Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya Jr., her driver Allan Bayot and the town’s Tourism, Investment and Promotions Officer, Ricky Monterona.
The mayor, along with her staff and a security aide, survived the attack but she is believed to have been injured. The police were however mum on the extent of her injury, except to assure that she is “safe.”
Reluya remained confined in a hospital in Cebu City under tight police security and has yet to visit her husband’s wake at St. Peter Chapels on New Imus Street, Barangay Lorega San Miguel, Cebu City.
Reluya is seeking reelection in the midterm polls in May while her husband, who sits in the city council as an ex-officio member being the president of the town’s Association of Barangay Councils, was her runningmate. The Reluya couple registered as independent candidates but the mayor is allied with Cebu Third District Rep. Gwedolyn Garcia, who is running for governor in May.
The attack on the Reluyas was the third this month against incumbent officials of the town.
The first, which happened on January 10 at the town’s city proper in broad daylight, killed Councilor Reneboy Dacalos, 51, a reelectionist.
Barely a week later, on January 16, a barangay captain, Johnny Arriesgado of Barangay Magsico, was also killed in the town.
“Kadaghanan officials nato didto nahadlok kay daghang naggawas nga fake news nga daghan pa daw mangamatay. We are assuring the barangay officials that the police are doing their best,” said Sinas.
Sinas and other PRO-7 officials met on Saturday, January 26, with some barangay captains and other village officials of San Fernando at the Camp Sergio Osmena in Cebu City to discuss the security concerns of the town. Also present in the meeting was Cebu First District Representtive Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas Jr.
Sinas said they agreed to send more police forces in San Fernando to increase the police visibility in the town and to conduct more checkpoints in the areas, especially in mountainous areas.
According to Sinas, the provincial police director has a dedicated team that will plot the schedule of the villages that they would visit, particularly the barangays that have raised safety concerns.
The village chiefs were particularly concerned about the presence of new faces or strangers in their communities whom they feared might pose a security threats in the coming elections, he said.
Sinas said they would strengthen the existing checkpoints in the town and would also create mobile checkpoints to be manned by policemen coming from Cebu City.
PRO-7 has also established a hotline at its regional headquarters in Cebu City that the San Fernando officials if they have any complaint regarding the policemen assigned in the area.
The regional director hoped that the additional police forces would help put at ease the officials, as well as residents of the San Fernando after they have lost at least three public servants in less than one month. /elb