Police might lose benefits

CEBU, Philippines -  Cebu City Police Office Director Senior Superintendent Noli Romana and all station commanders and personnel might be removed from office and their financial aid cut if robbery in the city continues.

This was the warning of Mayor Michael Rama who also imposed a “three-strike policy” against Romana and his station chiefs and personnel owing to the recent robberies victimizing convenience stores, money remittance outlets, gasoline stations, and other establishments.

Rama said the police officials would be accountable if three robberies happen in their respective jurisdictions as they had agreed in a “covenant.”

“They will seriously be penalized through suspension of incentives and they will be relieved from their assigned stations. They will not be reassigned or transferred to another station because we cannot retain incompetent people to handle peace and order in our city. They will have to get out because I don’t want to see incompetent people in the city,” he said.

He admitted, though, that he has no power to terminate police officers and it would be the discretion of the Police Regional Office-7.

Despite this, he said he is proud of his police force because they have made headway against drugs, illegal gambling and other forms of crimes. He added they should also focus on robbery.

Romana vowed to strengthen police’s intelligence network as he is more challenged to run after the criminals after he signed the covenant with Rama.

He said Rama also knows that the series of recent robberies is actually meant to derail their successful operations against illegal drugs.

“He knows the situation we are facing na everytime maganda ‘yung takbo ng operations, may mangyayari talaga na deliberate and purposeful,” Romana said, adding that he is taking full responsibility for petty and significant crimes, adding that he knows there are operational lapses too.

He said that the timing of the robberies was intended to humiliate him since it happened after successful operations and also before the crime prevention summit.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)