Cebu City dad calls on law enforcers to beef up security measures amidst war in Israel

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A councilor in Cebu City has called on various law enforcers in the city to beef up safety and security measures amidst the ongoing war in Israel.

Councilor Rey Gealon sent copies of his proposed resolutions to CDN Digital on Wednesday evening, October 11, where he urged personnel responsible for peace and order to monitor the security status of Cebu City.

The councilor said the security of Filipinos, especially the Cebuanos, is of “utmost importance.”

With this, Gealon has called out the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Coast Guard District Central Visayas, the Cebu City Mobile Force Company of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

In his proposed resolutions, Gealon recalled the incident that occurred on October 7, Saturday, a Jewish sabbath day and a day after the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.

READ MORE: Israel stunned by Hamas surprise attack, hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation

“Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups launched ‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood,’ a coordinated assault consisting of land and air attacks into multiple border areas of Israel. At approximately 6:00 in the morning, an extensive air assault rockets were launched into the coastal towns of Ashdod and Ashkelon and as far north as Tel Aviv (approximately 40 miles north of Gaza). It is estimated that between 3-5,000 rockets were launched during that first day,” Gealon stated.

Gealon said that the conflict is a cause of concern as it is an indication that countries are vulnerable against terrorists and other lawless elements.

AFP, Coast Guard, PNP

He said that it is necessary for the AFP Central Command to be on heightened alert status against terrorists and other lawless elements in light of the incident.

Meanwhile, he urges the CCPO to deploy more police on the streets and actively and aggressively mobilize patrol units as a deterrent to those who may disturb the peace and order in the city.

READ MORE: Israel war: 2 Filipinos killed in war-torn Israel says DFA

He also urges the Coast Guard District Central Visayas to regularly patrol the Cebu Harbor for any suspicious sea-faring vessels.

Gealon wants the PNP’s Cebu City Mobile Force Company to conduct regular patrols along the boundaries of the city by the mountainsides.

When asked on Thursday, October 12, on what could be the relevance of his proposed resolution to the Cebuanos, Gealon cited the words of a saint.

“In the words of St. Jerome: The scars of others should teach us caution. What better way to take caution than for our authorities to undertake extraordinary security efforts and measures, aligned with their respective mandates, in the light of recent events and developments around the world,” he said.

He added that the public have to be careful with lawless elements who may be lurking in the communities, and be vigilant enough to report to the authorities any suspicious activity they may encounter.

“Those in the uniformed service already know what is best to be done under the circumstances,” Gealon told CDN Digital.

/bmjo