Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas (right) and Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro (left), director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), led the turnover of newly renovated communal toilets to residents of Sitio Rattan, Barangay Tangke this morning, March 1, 2020. | CDND Photos / Gerard Vincent Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The task of the police will no longer be limited to crime-fighting.
Police Brigadier General Albert Ignatius Ferro, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), wanted the different police chiefs in the region to also conduct a needs assessment survey as a means to determine how they could better serve people who are within their areas of responsibility (AOR).
Ferro announced his new directive following a visit to Sitio Rattan in Barangay Tangke, Talisay City this morning, March 1, 2020. He joined Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony Gullas, Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Roderick Mariano and the Talisay City Station Commander Gerard Ace Pelare in doing house to house visits and the turnover of the community’s newly renovated communal toilet.
Ferro said that his visit was very productive because it allowed him to listen to what residents in the area have to say. Listening, he said, is a form of data gathering especially for their anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“At least we could give to the public some of their needs like ito (communal toilets), sanitary needs to. We are thinking of other things that could be useful for our people. Kasi if you help them, maybe they will not anymore be engaged into illegal drugs,” he told CDN Digital.
The renovation project, Ferro said, is also a way of telling the public that the government cares for them.
Knowing people’s needs will allow the police to better serve the community, he said.
Ferro said that aside from implementing laws and government regulations, the police should also be able to understand the needs of people living in their respective AORs.
Coming up with a needs assessment survey, Ferro said, will also help the different chiefs of police in the region come up with innovation and plans of action.
Gullas, for his part, commended the police for noticing one of the important needs of Sitio Rattan residents which is to have a clean communal toilet.
He said that when Pelare raised a concern on the need to renovate the barangay’s communal toilet, he did not hesitate to take action because, he too, believes that this was a way to encourage the community to also help in the implementation of government programs including their fight against illegal drugs and all forms of criminality.
“While relentless ang drug operation diri sa Barangay Tangke, dapat mo reach out pud ta sa komunidad para sila mo tabang sad sa kapulisan in terms of information,” said Gullas.
(While we wanted to implement a relentless anti-drugs operation in Barangay Tangke, there is also a need for government to reach out to the community to entice them to also provide the police with vital information.) / dcb