Police heighten Inayawan security

CEBU, Philippines- With Barangay Inayawan still considered an area of special concern, the Cebu City Police Office will continue to tighten security there by conducting sustained police operations, a top police official said.

Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, CCPO officer-in-charge and deputy director for operations of the Police Regional Office-7, said police checkpoints and frisking will continue.

He said this after the shooting encounter between a minor and operatives of City Intelligence Branch and a civilian agent last Saturday afternoon. The minor was wounded and is now recuperating in a hospital.

In that encounter, Senior Police Officer 2 Julieto Bequilla was shot in the right thigh, while Police Officer 2 Phillip James Tanza was hit in his body with the bullet piercing through his kidney. Crisanto Arante, a CIB agent, got hit in the foot.

Bequilla, Tanza and Arante were rushed to Chong Hua Hospital where they went through surgical operations yesterday morning.

Capa said he was glad the police officers and the CIB only suffered gunshot wounds because he could not take it in his conscience had something more tragic happened.

Capa was the one who issued the directive to solve the peace and order situation in Barangay Inayawan.

After he issued the directive, more police officers have been assigned in Inayawan and more checkpoint operations were conducted to alleviate the peace and order situation.

A “clandestine operation” was conducted by CIB after receiving information that a certain Atong was involved in several shooting incidents in the area.

But when the operatives approached Atong, he opened fire and ran in a small alley where two of his alleged cohorts were waiting.

The police followed him but they were fired at.

The police were trapped in the alley but still managed to hit Atong.  Although Capa said the operatives may have been complacent, still he wanted to give an award to each of the two police officers.

The awards were scheduled to be given yesterday in their hospital beds, but were rescheduled after the two police officers were set to undergo surgical operations.

Capa said the Cebu City government has allotted the police substantial amount to support them, and this year alone, the City Council has allotted P140 million for peace and order.  Capa said he will ask the council to procure bullet-proof vests for the police operatives when they make their first purchase this year.

To serve as a deterrent, they will continue with the checkpoint operations in Barangay Inayawan. (FREEMAN)