Cebu City dad to police: Uphold the law, maintain order in ranks
Councilor Philip Zafra, the Cebu City Council’s committee chairperson for peace and order.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Philip Zafra, the City Council’s committee chairperson for peace and order, said that the increasing number of reported human rights violations of Cebu City police officers is alarming.
In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Zafra said that he was shocked that the Commission on Human Rights in Central Visayas (CHR-7) has found a secret jail in the Sawang Calero Police Station.
Read: CHR-7 investigates ‘secret jail’ in Sawang Calero Police Station
When the police station was built in the area, he was still a government employee in the City Hall around 2010 or 2011, and since then there had been no new facility built in the area.
“Well for one, I still have to read the findings of the CHR. I am shocked that there is an illegal detention cell. I welcome the investigation because this should not be encouraged,” said Zafra.
Zafra laments the reports of 11 policemen being relieved for alleged rape, extortion, and running the secret jail, as this came only a few months after a policeman was also relieved from the Carbon Police Station for alleged physical abuse.
He said that the police force should be the example of law enforcement and not of human rights violation. He urged the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to clean their ranks.
The city government also vehemently condemns all forms of human rights violation and abuse of power by law enforcers, but Zafra said the concerned policemen still deserve to undergo due process.
Read: ‘Secret jail’ inside Sawang Calero Police Station?
Zafra fears that these sorts of human rights violation are ongoing not only in the two identified police precincts but in others as well that may not have been given the same attention.
With this, he encouraged those who have faced abuses from the police to report these and that the city government will help them through the People’s Law Enforcement Board.
“Andam gyod ta motabang nila mofile og saktong complaint aron maprocess kinig tarong,” said Zafra.
The councilor said he is with the CHR-7 in the desire to put a stop to these illegal practices of the delinquent policemen. /rcg
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