Screengrabbed from CCPO live video on Oplan Bulabog on December 4, 2021.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police here will continue to implement its Oplan Bulabog even if the city government will decide to lift the curfew.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), on Monday, February 21 said they were ready to follow the latest orders from the city, including the possibility of scrapping the curfew.
Parilla, however, said the police decided to keep Oplan Bulabog as one of its anti-COVID protocols even if the city would be eliminating curfew.
The revamped ‘Oplan Bulabog’ would instead focus on crime-prone areas, said Parilla.
“Yes, we are ready (for the possibility of lifting the curfew). And yes, it will be a big adjustment but still the same, round-the-clock gihapon atong presence,” he explained.
“There will be a difference (in implementing Oplan Bulabog). We will focus more on primary crime areas. Kanang daghan krimen and especially katong mga lugar dili maabot sa kapulisan (Where there are many crimes happening and especially those areas that the police cannot reach),” he added.
Oplan Bulabog started as an operation against erring establishments or those that failed to comply with the city’s minimum health standards.
The entire island of Cebu returned to Alert Level 2 last February 16. Several local governments, such as Cebu province and Mandaue City, already did away with the curfew.
For Cebu City, Mayor Michael Rama earlier said he would be announcing his decision this Thursday, February 24, during the city’s 85th Charter Day Anniversary.
On the other hand, Parilla said they recorded fewer apprehensions related to COVID-protocol violations since the city downgraded from Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.
Most establishments had also practiced self-regulation, he added.
“So far, ang katawhan ni-cooperate gyud sila… Pero ato gihapong gihangyo ang katawhan to observe (minimum health standards),” Parilla said.
(So far, the public have cooperated … but we are still appealing to them to observe (minimum health standards).)
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