Coast guard vessels patrol the seas in Oslob town, south Cebu. CDN Digital | photo by Tonee Despojo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu fourth district Board Member Sun Shimura will ask the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas (OPAV) to conduct a security summit in the northern part of Cebu, similar to what was done in Oslob town last Sunday, February 3.
Shimura, who chairs the Provincial Board (PB) Committee on Public Safety, said that although there is no imminent threat in the northern section of the province, it is still essential for law enforcement agencies to pay equal priority to the safety of the northern towns of Cebu.
Read: DOT-7 to help give tourism workers in Oslob the needed training to spot potential threat
Officials from law enforcement units met with local chief executives and tourism stakeholders in Oslob last Sunday to discuss how to improve public safety and prevent threats of terrorism in their area following a travel advisory issued by the United Kingdom government cautioning their nationals from traveling to the southern side of Cebu, up to and including the towns of Badian and Dalaguete.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP-7), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG-7) and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica-7) unanimously assured the attending stakeholders during the Interagency Stakeholders Security Summit there that “there is zero threat of terrorism or insurgency in the south of Cebu.”
“Magpaabot ra gyod ta og ila tang i-apil sa north. We will definitely request [the OPAV],” Shimura said.
Read:Coast Guard to put up new station in southern Cebu
Shimura added that he will be filing a resolution asking the provincial police to strengthen the visibility of tourist police especially in the premiere beach destinations.
“Wala gyod nay threat sa atong district. peaceful man gyod and hopefully, magpadayon na… What we can do now is we will be filing a resolution just to remind the PNP nga daghan pod ang turista sa kwatro distrito kay basin mahitabo hinuon didto ang di angay,” Shimura said. /dbs