| CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines–Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, the director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said he will support the plans of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to form an all-women Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
New CCPO director, Police Colonel Gemma Cruz Vinluan, said she is planning for the formation of an all-woman SWAT team to empower women in the police force.
“Lahat ng matitikas na babae ay gusto kong maging miyembro nito. Sasamahan ko kayo sa lahat ng operations ninyo at gusto ko galingan ninyo. Dapat mas magaling kayo sa mga lalaki,” said Vinluan in her speech during the turnover ceremony of the CCPO leadership at the Camp Sotero Cabahug on Thursday, July 11, 2019.
(All strong women should be part of the SWAT team. I will go with you in all your operations and I want you to do your best. You should be better than the men.)
Vinluan replaced Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma for the CCPO post.
Garma has retired from the police force to take up the post as General Manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Sinas said that women police are just as capable as men and this has been proven by Garma’s leadership in the past year in the CCPO.
Sinas said he supports Vinluan’s plan to create a new all-woman squad because this can empower women and remind them that they are equally as strong as men.
“I have to encourage her (Vinluan) to do that kay babae sila. Ang mga babae partners gyod na. (I have to encourage Vinluan to do that because they are women. The women are partners of the men),” said Sinas.
Sinas revealed that the Maria town Police Station in the Province of Siquijor has an all-women team from the chief down to the non-uniformed personnel.
The General said that women should play active roles in the police force and not be contained in administrative duties or in the women and children’s desk.
For Sinas, women can do what men can in the stations and on field during operations.
Furthermore, Sinas said the region hopes to download more policewomen in the force to handle the more delicate positions, or the positions that is most close to the community.
For example, Sinas wants policewomen as Tourist Police because policewomen are more approachable and amiable to deal with tourists.
He said in this way, the male members of the police force can be deployed to more dangerous operations.
Vinluan, meanwhile, clarified that women in the police force should not intimidate men but instead should work together as partners in upholding the law. /bmjo