Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, Deputy Director for Operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) | CDN Photo/ Emmariel Ares
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Police in Cebu City are intensifying their monitoring of possible robbery groups who might enter Cebu for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
The Palaro will return to Cebu City after 30 years and authorities are expecting thousands of visitors and Palaro delegates to converge in the city.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Janette Rafter, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said the recent arrest of three women who were reportedly shoplifting several times from a convenience store in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas, Cebu City, on Wednesday, June 26, triggered their suspicions that robbery groups are planning to take advantage of the impending influx of visitors.
The suspects, Angel Ferrer Florentino, 28; Netchel Andrade Hilado, 33; and Raquel Billos Bejemeno, 53, came all the way from Silay City, Negros Occidental.
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The suspects have allegedly been shoplifting from the said convenience store multiple times, but the owner was only able to notice that some items were missing on Tuesday, the day before they were arrested.
The robbery group members were able to steal goods worth up to P15,000, which were later confiscated along with illegal drugs when police raided the suspects’ boarding house.
Following this, CCPO director Police Colonel Ireneo Dalogdog commended the personnel of Mambaling Police Station for the accomplishment.
Rafter said that while they are anticipating this type of crimes, they are always conducting monitoring in order to prevent malicious individuals from stealing, especially from visitors who will be coming over for the Palarong Pambansa 2024.
With Cebu City expected to have around 15,000-20,000 guests and participants for the upcoming sports event, Rafter stressed the importance of intensified police presence in order to prevent robbery groups from committing their nefarious activities.
She highlighted that police needs to ensure that Palaro guests would not fall victim to any crime during their stay in the city for them to have a memorable experience.
Increasing police visibility in Cebu City is among the standing orders issued by Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, regional director of the Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7), during his command visit to CCPO on Tuesday afternoon, June 25.
Rafter stated that law enforcers in Cebu City have long been deploying beat patrollers and officers to improve police visibility.
In fact, their centralized beat patrolling greatly helped in the decrease of reported snatching incidents and crimes against property along the N. Bacalso Avenue, where several robberies have taken place before.
With less than two weeks before the opening of Palarong Pambansa, Rafter said that they are in constant preparation as they are consistently receiving updates on additional events and guests.
However, she assured that they are not only after robbery groups but their main goal is to secure the delegates and visitors. She added that already have the general calendar of activities and are prepared to secure the events included there.
“Ga-evolve ang atong preparation depende sa mga na update ba, kinsay mangabot, unsa’y mga additional event. But again, we already have the general calendar of activities and we have already prepared for that. But again, we are always in constant preparation. Hantud gyud nga mahuman ni atoang palaro,” stated Rafter.
Furthermore, she relayed that the deployment of police personnel for the coverage of Palarong Pambansa 2024 will run longer than during Sinulog, with the former running for 3 weeks and the latter for only 2 weeks.
The deployment will start as early as Saturday, June 29, she added.