New MCPO director promises to pursue creation of all-female SWAT team

Police Colonel Maribel Getigan, the new MCPO director, during the turnover of command on Friday, August 25, 2023. | CDN Digital photo / Mary Rose Sagarino

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Making sure that Mandaue City remains peaceful and orderly tops the priority of Police Colonel Maribel Getigan, who assumed as the new director of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) on Friday, August 25.

To do this, Getigan promised to make sure that all of the uniformed personnel under her command are able to perform their assigned tasks in the most efficient way as she also intends to continue the good practices that were introduced by her predecessor, Police Colonel Jeffrey Caballes.

“Ibig sabihin, we have to see to it that we always and continually monitor the duties of our personnel, patrolling is part of the program,” said Getigan.

Getigan, MCPO’s first woman police director, also promised to pursue the creation of an all-female SWAT team in the city.

In an earlier interview, Police Lieutenant Gerson Rosende, chief of MCPO’s SWAT team, said that the creation of an all-female SWAT team would greatly help in dealing with female suspects.

In the absence of an all-female team, they would tap the assistance of the Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD), to assist in some of their operations.

Police Colonel Ronald Bulalacao, former MCPO director, ordered the creation of an all-female SWAT team shortly after he assumed office in June 2021.

However, trainings were halted due to the reassignment of some of the members of the city’s all-female SWAT team.  Others also went schooling.

In an interview that was made shortly after she assumed as MCPO director on Friday, Getigan said she was supportive of the idea of pursuing the creation of an all-female SWAT team.

The turn-over of command at MCPO was witnessed by Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

Getigan expressed confidence that women cops are just as good as their male counterparts.

As to her assumption as the MCPO head, Getigan said that she feels very honored and grateful.

“Before naging hepe din ako [sa Danao City Police Station] and I told the community that kung unsa man mahimo sa laki, definitely mahimo sad sa babaye, I am thankful sa atoang regional director nga gihatagan ta og opportunity,” Getigan said.

From Danao City, she was reassigned as the chief of the logistics division of PRO-7.  From there, she was transferred to MCPO.

Getigan replaced Caballes, who also occupied her old position as head of PRO-7’s logistics division.

Caballes replaced Bulalacao as the MCPO director in August 2022.

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