700 cops, military men to be deployed on Cebu City streets starting Monday

At least 700 police personnel and military men will be deployed on Cebu City streets to ensure compliance with health protocols. | Pegeen Sararana

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Do not be surprised if you see uniformed cops and military men roaming Cebu City streets starting at midnight on Monday, August 16.

Their task is to ensure compliance with health protocols while the city remains under Modified Enhance Community Quarantine until the end of the month.

“Ang number of personnel nga atoang i deploy is based on the infection sa ilang baranagy. Kung kinsa tong stations nga dunay daghang positive cases ang ilahang mga barangay, mao sad ang atoang gidaghan og butang og mga personnel,” says Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

(The number of personnel that we will deploy will be determined based on the number of infections in the barangay.  [Police] stations with the most number of positive cases in barangays [that are located within its jurisdiction] will also be provide with the most number of police personnel.)

Police station 11 that has jurisdiction of Baragay Guadalupe, for example, is expected the get the biggest deployment, he said.

According to the August 14 COVID-19 tracker of the Department of Health in Central Visayas, Barangay Guadalupe logged the most number of active cases from among the city’s 80 barangays in the city with a total of 323.

Police Major Jonathan Dela Cerna, chief of police of Guadalupe Police Station, said they are expected to get 45 RMFB-7 personnel and eight military men as augmentation to their existing manpower.

In addition, they are also expecting the assignment of 16 Task Force Kasaligan members.

A total of 700 personnel coming from CCPO and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB-7) and the Philippine Army were sent off on Sunday in a short ceremony that was held at the Cebu City Sports Center oval.

Law enforcers will also be getting help from the city’s force multipliers and personnel from the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team.

Parilla said the chiefs of the different police stations here are tasked to prepare the specific assignments of the policemen and military men who will be assigned to man their jurisdictions.

Some of these personnel will be assigned to man border control checkpoints while others will be tasked to conduct random inspection of Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) that are plying routes within their respective areas to ensure compliance with health protocols especially on the number of authorized passengers.

Parilla expressed confidence that the deployment of more uniformed cops and military men will result in a drop in active cases in the city in the coming days.

At the same time, he is asking city residents to stay at home unless for very important errands like the purchase of essentials.

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/ dcb