New CCPO chief to quit if…

CEBU, Philippines — The newly-installed chief of the Cebu City Police Office vowed that she will step down from her position if the public and critics see her unfit to lead.

Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, the second policewoman to serve as city police director, said that if her programs will draw harsh criticisms she will gladly step down so that her position will be available for someone “more competent.”

“Kapag maraming negative comments sa leadership ko, ako ay magpapaalam. Mas gugustuhin na may pumalit na mas magaling sa akin kaysa, mananatili ako dito,” she said.

She said that some of her gauges for her performance will be social media comments and her accomplishments as the city director.

“Una is sa social media if there will be too much negative comments. Also, my accomplishments will speak of my leadership,” she said.

She said she will do her best to outdo the performance of her predecessor, retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, who did not get support from the local government during her one-year stint as chief of the CCPO.

“I challenge them to exert extra effort, because this time we have the support we have no reason to fall back,” she said.

She directed her men to exert more effort, as she plans to net at least half a billion worth of suspected shabu within six months, she said Garma’s half a billion accomplishment is her baseline.

In less than a year, operatives from CCPO under Garma netted a total of P678,590,468 worth of suspected shabu.

“Of course, mas malaki much better, but we will set, kasi sabi ko dapat lumagpas. Dapat by six months, nakakalahating billion ako,” she said.

However, she added that she does not feel pressured to fill-in the shoes of Garma, her classmate in the Philippine National Police Academy.

“Wherever I was planted, I excelled. Kaya I don’t feel pressured,” she said.

So far, CCPO personnel have confiscated close to P4 million worth of illegal drugs in separate anti-drug operations since Vinluan assumed office last Thursday.

Regarding another issue, Vinluan also said that she will crusade for the establishment of help desks in schools in Cebu City to combat the online sexual exploitation of children.

Vinluan, former chief of the Women’s and Children’s Protection Center in Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police, said that the victims of these crimes are often school-goers. So she wants policemen stationed in schools so they can immediately act on complaints of victims.

“Para nasa schools na ang mga pulis. Para right there and then, the exploiters will be arrested,” she said.

In addition, she also wants policemen to undergo a psychological stress debriefing in coordination with the Department of Health. Vinluan, who visited the DOH-7 yesterday morning, said that a scientific debriefing will help policemen decompress, it will also prevent post-traumatic stress disorder.

She believes debriefings will prevent policemen from becoming violent and help make them a better example to society.

“Ang dati, hindi naging scientific ang paano mag-unload ng stress, dapat kasi ma-unload ang kanilang stress, kailangan magkaroon ng mental health and psycho social support system ang CCPO – yun ay care for the carers, kasi this will cause na bakit may pulis na matatapang o na-involve sa drugs,” she said. (FREEMAN)