The Regional Peace and Order Council in Central Visayas led by its chairperson, Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, holds its 4th quarterly meeting at Parklane Hotel on N. Escario Street, Cebu City. | Photo Courtesy of DILG-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Regional Peace and Order Council in Central Visayas (RPOC-7) discussed issues about insurgency in the region for its last quarterly meeting in 2019.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, RPOC chairman, who presided over the RPOC-7 for the first time since his appointment, said that the different cities, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders had raised their concern on the continuous presence of armed rebels in Negros Oriental and insurgents in Bohol.
Labella said the police and military had been closely coordinating with the local government units (LGUs) to subdue the insurgency, while the Department of Local and Government Unit (DILG) had been working on strengthening the governance of insurgency-affected LGUs.
“In Cebu City, we do not have threats of insurgency, but our schools can become entry points for indoctrination,” said the mayor.
Read more: Cebu City’s crime volume for past 10 months posts decline
Aside from insurgency, Police Brigadier General Valeriano De Leon, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief, reported to the council that there had been a downward trend of street crimes in the region generally.
However, he said that petty crimes were expected to rise for the yuletide season.
In an interview after the RPOC, De Leon said that lawless elements would try to take advantage of the crowded shopping malls, streets, and parks.
He called on the public to be vigilant at all times, to be mindful of their belongings and to report any incident immediately to the police./dbs