Mayor Edgardo Labella visits the wake of Police Senior Master Sergeant Maximino Macua Jr. on Thursday, February 13, 2020. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In a span of five days, five people has been killed in Cebu City including a policeman, two suspects to the killing of the policeman, and two other individuals in different incidents.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella said the recent deaths were isolated cases and there would be no reason to worry among the general public.
The death of Police Sergeant Maximino Macua Jr., on February 11, 2020, was followed by the death of the two suspects allegedly involved in his killing in a followup operation.
Read more: Macua, a caring and dedicated cop
On February 13, 2020, two separate killings were recorded in Barangay Pardo and Barangay Sto. Niño.
“The deaths are just isolated cases. The city is very safe for law-abiding citizens,” said the mayor.
Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, said that there were no connections between the first three deaths and the two other cases.
He said the deaths on February 13 were not drug-related and were due to a personal grudge, of which the police stations were now investigating.
Read more: Taho vendor gunned down in Cogon-Pardo
Soriano assured the public that Cebu City is “safer than ever,” but he encouraged the public to stay vigilant and report any suspicious behavior of suspicious persons.
Labella met with the city’s stakeholders for peace and order on Friday morning, February 14, 2020, to discuss the current situation of the city’s security.
The mayor said the city had remained safe from terrorism, but attempts of indoctrination were still rampant targeting the youth.
Illegal drugs also continue to threaten the city’s security especially in downtown barangays.
“I have instructed Colonel Soriano to intensify the campaign against illegal drugs. Especially with the death of a policeman, we really have to be relentless,” said Labella./dbs