Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) personnel | Photo from PRO-7 FB
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police in Central Visayas will now be conducting a realignment to turn their attention to the security coverage needed for the upcoming celebration of Christmas and New Year.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of the director of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, told reporters that they will be shifting their focus to the holiday season.
This was after the House of Representatives called for the cancellation of the special election in Negros Oriental that was initially scheduled to take place on December 9, 2023.
On Wednesday, November 8, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that the special elections that was meant to fill the vacant post of expelled Negros Oriental 3rd District Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. will no longer push through.
It can be recalled that Teves was expelled due to his chronic absence and indecent conduct which is rooted to the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in March.
Teves is accused of being the mastermind behind the Degamo assassination.
‘We’re ready’
Despite this new development, PRO-7 assured that they are always prepared to deploy needed personnel and to assist in securing the province if a decision is made to hold the election after all.
“Police Regional Office 7 is always ready to provide security coverage. In fact, as we have mentioned in the past, nakita nato og unsay maayo nga security template sa Negros Oriental because during the last Barangay and SK election, zero incident ta during the election day. So ready na ta,” stated Pelare.
For now, the 200 police personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion that were sent to Negros Oriental will be returning to their original units and assignments.
According to Pelare, they will be focusing on their preparations to ensure that the celebration of the holidays will be safe and secured in the region.
“But with the new development being instructed by Comelec, ang atong buhaton is i-realign nato ang atong pwersa and we will now focus our attention on the holidays sa Christmas ug sa New Year. We want to make sure nga lesser crimes will be committed,” he said.
Pelare also disclosed that based on their latest assessment, Negros Oriental is peaceful, which was displayed during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 30.
“If we are going to base it on crime statistics, we have a very favorable peace and order situation in Negros. Makita sad nato during the last election. But we always subscribe to the wisdom of the members of the House of Representatives. And pulis, igo ra gyud mi moprovide og security, peace and security,” he said.
With Christmas only a month away, Pelare said that with the expectation that the number of crimes will increase as the month of December draws near, their focus will be on prevention and sending criminals to jail.
He added that police in the whole region were already instructed to intensify police visibility and to conduct relentless crime operations against all kinds of crime such as possession of illegal drugs and/or firearms, and illegal gambling.
“Kung magsige tag panakop aning mga tawhana, we will remove the opportunity nga makacommit sila og crimes…Mao man nay na-analyze nato in previous months, nga kung magsige go dakop against illegal drugs, illegal firearms, illegal gambling, kining mga suspects nga usual mangawat, mangulata, mag-away sa dan, they will also be taken out of the streets and we will have a peaceful Central Visayas,” stated Pelare.
According to Pelare, they will not stop their efforts to make sure that the number of crimes recorded during the holiday season will decrease in comparison to previous years.
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