Labella promises allocation for construction of new Carbon Police Station in 2020 budget

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella (center) shares a light moment with City Police Director Gemma Vinluan (third from right) and City Hall department heads during a meeting on Tuesday afternoon, July 30. /Photo from the Cebu City Public Information Office Facebook page

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An allocation for the planned construction of the new Carbon Police Station will already be included in Cebu City’s 2020 budget.

Mayor Edgardo Labella made the announcement during a meeting with Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

During their meeting, Labella reiterated his commitment to help the police by working on the improvement of the different police stations in the city.  He will start with the long overdue construction of the new Carbon Police Station on a 400 square meter lot at the Warwick Barracks in Barangay Ermita.

But Labella said that he is yet to determine the cost of the construction project.

Labella said that the construction of a new Carbon Police Station is essential in keeping peace and order the city public market, the biggest in Cebu City.

Vinluan said she is very grateful of Labella’s commitment to help the police.

“Nakaka high morale na ang mayor ay supportive sa ating mga stations,” she said.

(It raises the morale of the police if the mayor is supportive of the needs of the different police stations.)

Vinluan assured Labella that the city government’s display of support will also encourage the police to work even harder.

Labella said that the current state of the Carbon Police Station that is now located near Freedom Park and along M. C. Briones Street is very “pitiful.”  The one-storey structure is already very dilapidated and occupies only a 20 square meter space.

“It’s very dilapidated. We have to see to it that we will construct a new Carbon police station,” said Labella.

While they wait for the approval of an allocation for the construction project, Labella said they will have to start with ensuring the approval of a deed of usufruct by the City Council to allow the Carbon police to occupy the area for 30 years. Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia will sponsor the needed resolution, he said.

As a long term plan, Labella said that his administration will also work to ensure the transfer of the Mambaling Police Station to a bigger and better location.  The police station now occupies a portion of the barangay hall.

Labella said that the city government is now looking for a suitable lot that they could donate for the construction of a new Mambaling Police Station while the Philippine National Police (PNP) will shoulder the cost of construction.

As for the Pardo police, a new police station will be built for them in Barangay Inayawan.  But the proposal is put on hold while the City Legal Office review the objections raised by Inayawan barangay officials against the construction of a new police station just across the barangay hall.

Labella said that the PNP already allotted P5 million on the construction. /dcb