Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Police Colonel Gemma Cruz Vinluan speaks to members of the Cebu media after the turnover of command on July 11, 2019. CDN digital photo | Benjie Talisic
CEBU CITY, Philippines —Campaigning against rape will be among the priorities of the new director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Police Colonel Gemma Cruz Vinluan.
Vinluan said that rape is the second most rampant crime among gender-based violence in the country, which can involve anyone, even police officers.
“Hindi masyadong napapansin yun (rape). Gusto ko kahit man lang dito sa Cebu, malinis natin ang mga rapists. (Rape is not given much attention. I want that at least in Cebu, we can clean up rapists),” said Vinluan.
She said the CCPO will start the campaign in the schools, since most victims of rape are children and the vulnerable.
There will be an information campaign on the different forms of child abuse including child exploitation, battering, and rape.
Help desks will also be set up for easier reports of these incidents.
“Hindi maganda para sa bata na mismo yung pinagkakatiwalaan nya ang mismo gumawa ng ganung krimen. (It is not good for the children that the people they trust would do such acts to them). I will make sure all of them will be in jail,” said Vinluan.
Vinluan was the chief of the Women and Children Protection Center in Luzon prior to her assignment in Cebu.
Vinluan is replacing Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, who left the police service to become the General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Vinluan said her leadership will be a transformative kind, one that hopes to make changes for the better in the CCPO.
However, Vinluan said one thing that will not change is the campaign against illegal drugs.
The new director said there will be no let up in the campaign against illegal drugs as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The goal of Vinluan would be to declare at least one barangay to be drug-free.
“We will coordinate with the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency),” said Vintulan.
With this, she called on the the community to help the police in the campaign by reporting any suspicious activities in their barangay.
Vinluan said she cannot promise that the campaign would not be bloody, but she can promise to those who wish to surrender that they will be brought to the court safely. /bmjo