CPPO to establish Swat teams, set up discipline zones in Cebu towns, cities

Police Colonel Roderick Mariano / CDND File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines— “Problematic” areas in the different towns and cities in Cebu province will be the subject of the Discipline Zone program of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO).

Police Colonel Roderick Mariano,  CPPO director, said the Discipline Zone program is now on the planning stage and will be simultaneously launched in August in all the town police stations and city police offices in Cebu.

“Yung mga problematic areas sa bawat munisipyo,  yan ang una nating aayusin (at) didisiplinahin. We will implement all the ordinances ng mga munisipyo, ng probinsya, kahit sa traffic. Lahat ng batas, kalat, basura, obstruction, basta lumalabag, didisiplinahin natin,” Mariano said.

(We will give priority to problematic areas in the different towns to fix (the problems) and to impose discipline on residents. We will implement all the ordinances of the towns, the province, and even the traffic laws. We will impose discipline on residents for them to follow the laws including regulations on garbage disposal and  roads obstructions.)

Mariano said the local chiefs of police have been tasked to identify the problematic areas within their jurisdiction and their pressing concerns for them to also be able to identify the corresponding action plan.

“It will be upon our chiefs of police to identify kung ano yung mga problema ng bawat area and after identifying, we will be having our action plans in coordination with the local government unit,” Mariano said.

He added that the CPPO is also eyeing to establish Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams in all the 44 towns in the province to enhance the capability of the different police stations.

At present, Mariano said they are still reviewing the human resource count of the CPPO in order to allocate the necessary personnel for the establishment of the needed SWAT teams.

He said they target to establish SWAT teams in the municipalities before the year ends.

“As soon as possible. As long as ma-ano na natin yung personnel, gusto natin mapabilis ito,” Mariano said.

(We want the SWAT teams to be installed as soon as possible. As long as we already have the necessary number of personnel, we want this to be moving.) /dcb