Labella says Ferro played key role in Cebu City’s fight against COVID-19

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella expressed sadness on the reassignment of Police Brigadier General Ignatius Albert Ferro, the outgoing director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Ferro was reassigned to Southern Luzon, where he will sit as the Directorate for Integrated Police Operation. An order for his transfer was released on Tuesday, September, 8, 2020. It will be effective on Wednesday, September 9.

Labella said that Ferro was one of the key officials who helped manage the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation in the city and implemented strict disciplinary measures to ensure order during the quarantine period.

“I am a little bit sad because General Ferro has been very effective. I consider him as one of the people responsible for flattening the [COVID-19] curve,” said the mayor.

The mayor also said the general was not only cooperative, but also had the initiative to create a secure system for checkpoints, ensuring the safety of the police officers.

The mayor said Ferro was also easy to work with and has provided important points in the security of the city.

Still, Labella said he supports the transfer of the regional director to his next post in Southern Luzon as this would essentially be a promotion.

Read: Former PRO-7 chief Ferro reassigned to Southern Luzon

The mayor also hopes that Ferro’s successor, Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo, will continue with the programs of Ferro.

One of the major problems that the city is expected to encounter under the Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ), the most relaxed classification of community quarantine, is traffic congestion on the streets.

Labella said he wants to meet with the police and the Cebu City Transportation Office to discuss the traffic strategy that the city must implement to reduce traffic jams and bottlenecks. /bmjo

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