City “not so safe” - Osmeña

Mayor urges PNP to take action

CEBU, Philippines — With at least four shooting incidents in just a day, no less than Mayor Tomas Osmeña said Cebu City is “not so safe” anymore because criminals are not afraid.

He called on newly-installed Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma to address the situation and assured her that the city government is behind the police force.

Osmeña supports Garma’s decision to deploy more policemen in the streets.

“It’s a step in the right direction when she pulls out  people in the headquarters and puts them in the field. That’s the force multiplier strategy. You put more people in the field and don’t let them sit in the precincts,” the mayor said.

The four shooting incidents occurred last Tuesday alone beginning with the death of one Jeffrey Cañedo at the Archbishop’s Palace in the morning.

At 1 p.m., a three-year-old boy died after he was hit by a stray bullet during an anti-drug operation in Barangay Ermita.

Later that day, the late Kalunasan councilman Roel Mabano was shot dead by an identified gunman in front of the barangay hall.

Hours later, shortly before midnight, two men died of a shooting incident at a gas station at the North Reclamation Area.

The two men, security guards Anjen Lagmay and Junifer Teniano, died from an exchange of gunfire inside the convenience store of a gas station along Sergio Osmeña Street.

“I saw the video (CCTV footage outside the Kalunasan barangay hall). Killers are not scared anymore. They just run up to you,” Osmeña said.

With the series of killings, Osmeña said he is in favor of arming tanods as long as they are trained well. The decision, however, does not lie with him.

“I don’t make those decisions. All our guns are not here in City Hall and they are accusing me of pulling out the guns from the police. There's not a single firearm in City Hall. It’s all in the police. We have 400 police guns in the police,” he said.

The police are not alarmed and assured steps are being taken to address the situation.

“I think Cebu is still a safe place. This happens because we are implementing the law. Taas ang cime incidence because gipangdakop na sila. Naa uban nga premeditated, giplanohan na sila,” said PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas.

“CCPO is doing its best to contain crimes, it being a populous city. The police is doing its best. The city director is all around, all stations are assisting sa iya. We can assure that police is addressing whatever is the concern,” Sinas said.

“Killing field”

The church is alarmed and described the country as slowly becoming a “killing field,” what with the killings of government officials in other parts of the country.

“Because of the several killings, it’s almost becoming a daily thing for us that we hear (in news reports). Yesterday (Tuesday) was the worst with three incidents happening in separate areas (in Cebu),” Monsignor Joseph Tan, media liaison officer of the Cebu archdiocese, told reporters on Wednesday.

Tan said what is alarming is that people will become tolerant to the spate of killings.

“And then we will be able to adopt the culture of death that, for us, these events are normal already, that we are not surprised already,” he lamented.

“We need to spiritually wake up as a people about this,” he added.

Tan urged the faithful join the three-day initiative from July 17 to 19 spearheaded by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

The CBCP has called on Catholics to offer prayers, to fast, and to give alms “to make reparations for blasphemies, lies, and murder.”

Despite the incidents, Tan said he continues to have high respect and regard to the police force.

“We see that there are many good policemen serving our country. We know that there are scalawags, but I know there are several policemen that are heroic in virtues,” he said. Jeffrey I. Legara (FREEMAN)