CEBU, Philippines - Irked by their failure to detect an alleged drug den near City Hall, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama now wants to dissolve the tourist police.
The tourist police station, also known as the Community Police Action Center (COMPACT), is located a few meters away from City Hall. It is also not far from where three persons were apprehended by the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation-7 Wednesday morning in Sitio Lutaw-lutaw, Barangay Santo Niño.
“Sa kaduol nila (tourist police) diha, wala gyuy nakasulod sa area diha? Wala gyud kabantay dinha? Pila naman na sila ka tuig diha?” Rama said, adding that these tourist police are not mastering their “terrain.”
“Ang ilang huna-huna gud tourist police sila, tourist ra ang bantayan nila,” he added.
Rama also said the presence of the police station in Plaza Sugbo is “destroying the heritage value” of the area where Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño are located.
“That COMPACT should be out within that area and not only that because they have not been performing their job enough and effectively,” he said.
Rama said he already talked with Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III on the possible demolition of the structures in the area where the drug den is located since the lot is owned by the province.
With this, he said the COMPACT may be incorporated into Police Station 5 which will be transferred to the grounds of Compaña Maritima.
Rama is contemplating transferring Police Station 5 from the Carbon Marketsoon.
Under his adopt-a-station project, he said the construction of the new Police Station 5 in the Compaña Maritima grounds will be shouldered by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce Inc.
When asked about the pending complaint the city is facing regarding the ownership of the Compaña Maritima property, Rama said it would not matter since it is a public land.
“When I was a vice mayor, I have about over 20 stations that I want to build without the council. I was able to build seven police stations in Waterfront, Mabolo, Fuente, Parian, Sawang Calero, San Nicolas, including two fire stations,” he said
He also said he wants the police stations in barangays Pardo, Punta Princesa and Mambaling renovated while new police stations will be built in Barangay Guadalupe and in the mountain barangay of the city.
Rama said he wants everything to be in place before his term in 2016 ends. (FREEMAN)