More cops for schools

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Police Office will be deploying at least five policemen instead of two in each school starting next week during the opening of classes for the college level.City Intelligence chief Romeo Santander said they are trying to provide maximum police deployment especially in schools with night classes.

“Unlike sa elementary, daghan atong deployment. Mao na ang atong pag-categorize sa deployment,” he said.

The reason for the additional distribution of policemen, he said, is the need for optimum police visibility as criminals are expected to take advantage of the situation.

Additional augmentation, however, will depend on the number of policemen per police station.

“Naa gihapon ang atong mga force multipliers sama sa mga security guard, Barangay Peacekeeping Team ug mga tanod nga motabang nato,” he said. 

Santander said they are expecting a rise in petty crimes next week which they hope to prevent. They are also monitoring the possible entry into the city of organized criminal groups from other regions.

Police station chiefs were also tasked to assess their respective areas of responsibility for the need for additional augmentation on a specific school or area, he said.

Santander said the clustering of police stations, which they officially started last Thursday, will further optimize police deployment, response and coordination among police units.

Under the plan, the entire city was divided into four quadrants or clusters with their respective police units on alert.

Senior Supt. Louie Oppus, deputy regional director for operations, said Police Regional Office–7 is still under heightened alert.

Oppus said they do not want another kidnap-slay case to happen anywhere in the region just like what happened to Ellah Joy Pique in Minglanilla town last February 2011.

“Kinahanglan gyud nga naa’y mohatod ug kuha sa mga bata nga mga hamtong and we also need to get the cooperation of the schools themselves,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Capitol officials urged the Department of Health and city and municipal health offices to conduct sanitary inspections on all commercial food establishments near schools in the province.

In sponsoring a resolution passed by the Provincial Board, Board Member Thadeo Ouano said that during this time food is in high demand.

“When students are starving, they tend to look for food that would satisfy their need and would not in anyway bother to check whether the food being sold is clean or prepared in a manner in accordance with health standard protocols,” Ouano said.

Ouano said that the sanitary inspection that they have requested from health authorities is to ensure that these establishments comply with the standards set by law.

Employees of the said establishments must also secure a health certificate to ensure that they will not contaminate the food they are preparing.

“It is to further ensure the consistency and sanitation in handling food preparation,” Ouano said.

Ouano added that DOH and local health offices should also devise a scheme that would identify establishments that have complied with food safety standards and require others to comply. (FREEMAN)