Police: City still peaceful

The Cebu City Police Office assured the public that the latest shooting incidents in the city last Friday are isolated cases that do not reflect the whole peace and order situation.

Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said this after news reports made it appear that the Cebu is no longer a safe place to live.

Last Friday three people were shot dead by men on a motorcycle in three separate occasions, none of the perpetrators were arrested.

Comendador explained that the city covers almost 30,000 square hectares and has a population of 1.3 million, hence three people getting shot within a span of eight hours is not really that alarming.

“It’s misleading the public.  You should be careful in presenting facts and figures that may mislead into the public picturing Cebu City as a very chaotic place,” Comendador said.

Based on the records for the past years, the CCPO managed to reduce the crime rate and increase its crime efficiency this year.

First to be shot last Friday was piano technician Norbert Sumicad in barangay Tisa.  An hour later Tomas Carbonilla, 52, was also shot dead by two men on a motorcycle while he was talking with a neighbor along Gaisano St., barangay Tejero.

After these two shootings Comendador ordered wide random checkpoints around the city to prevent petty crimes including those involving drunkenness.

But five hours later, a cargo forwarder collector Buddy Denapo, 31, of sitio Kapakulan, barangay Tisa, was shot dead while driving his multicab along Gov. Cuenco Ave. in barangay Talamban by two men also on a motorcycle.

Homicide investigators said based on the manner of these attacks the shootings were not random killings.

Comendador earlier explained that even if they deploy every policeman in the more than 1,800 corners in the city it will never be guaranteed that there will be no crime to happen, especially those already planned.  — Edwin Ian Melecio/BRP