Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, provincial director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), arrives at the venue of the Suroy Suroy Sugbo program in Minglanilla. CDN Digital photo | Rosalie Abatayo
SIBONGA, Cebu — The police should set out to the streets and collaborate with other law enforcers to establish their presence and prevent criminality.
Police Colonel Roderick Mariano, provincial director of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), said this is necessary in order to support the local government units’ programs on tourism
“As we promote tourism in the province, we need the stability of peace and order. That’s why we are maximizing our presence. Where Cebu goes, the Philippines goes. Kaya kung tahimik ang Cebu Province, mas maraming turista ang dadating,” Mariano told CDN Digital during the sidelines of Suroy Suroy Sugbo.
(If Cebu is peaceful, many tourists would come here.)
Mariano is among the VIP delegates in the three-day tour caravan, which kicked off Friday morning, November 15, 2019.
The tour caravan covers all the 22 southern towns and cities of the province.
At 1,875 heads strong, Mariano admitted that they are in a shortage of personnel. However, he assured they are doing interventions to maximize the efficiency of his personnel to cater to the province 44 municipalities and seven cities.
“It is one of my priority projects to increase the number of tourist police and to capacitate our police personnel. The PNP is continuously recruiting pero sa dami ng nagreretire din, parang hindi rin nababago yung number,” Mariano said.
“Yung ating duty na babaguhin natin, dapat lumabas tayo ng kalye, ng streets para ma-maximize natin yung police presence and to ensure na safe lahat ng individuals dito sa Cebu province,” he said.
He added that close coordination and collaboration with force multipliers and other law enforcers is also necessary to stabilize peace and security.
“Meron naman tayong force multipliers and augmentation forces from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the (barangay police). Kailangan lang collaboration and unity ng mga law enforcement units natin,” Mariano said. /bmjo