CEBU CITY, Philippines – – The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) hopes to have police-owned lots now that there is a new leader at the helm of Cebu City Hall.
Colonel Royina Garma, CCPO director, said 10 of the city’s police stations are standing on “borrowed spaces.”
Garma said the police stations are not strategically located because they are right next to barangay halls or near public markets.
Garma said the Pardo Police Station is located at the Pardo Public Market, while police stations in barangays Mambaling and Punta Princesa are situated in areas occupied by informal settlers.
“The lots that I mentioned are not donated to the PNP (Philippine National Police) so we cannot ask for funds for the renovation and construction of a standard police station,” said Garma.
Garma said only the lot occupied by the Guadalupe Police Station is owned by the PNP.
The police director hopes that they can have a command conference with Cebu City Mayor-elect Edgard Labella so they can discuss what can be done in terms of donating lots to the PNP.
Garma said she is also looking at revisiting the supposed budget allocation for the city police from the local government unit of Cebu City.
Garma said the city police is supposed to receive P15 million from the Cebu City government.
Garma said that the budget allocation was passed in 2016 under the term of former mayor and now Vice Mayor-elect Michael Rama.
As the high-tension election period comes to a close, Garma hopes to meet Mayor-elect Labella soon to discuss how they can collaborate in ensuring the safety and security of the Cebuanos.
Should a command conference with Labella happens, Garma said the CCPO will present the city’s current peace and order situation. / celr