BY GLENDA TAYONA & RHENJIE MARIE CALANTAS
ILOILO City – The public can look forward to more strident peace and order efforts in this southern city. The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) reassigned 68 personnel from its headquarters to the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
ICPO director Colonel Joeresty P. Coronica presented them to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas during the flag-raising ceremony at the Iloilo City Hall yesterday.
“They will perform different police operations on the streets of Iloilo City such as beat patrols, motorcycle patrols, mobile checkpoints, barangay visitations, and other functions that entail police visibility. Others will be assigned to vital installations. They will ensure that every street corner is properly guarded,” said Police Brigadier General Sidney Villaflor, the PRO-6 acting regional director.
This deployment brought the total number of police officers in the city to over a thousand.
“I was very surprised but very thankful when General Villaflor informed me that he was going to download 68 personnel from the region to Iloilo City to add to our efforts to ensure that the city is going to be safe,” said Treñas.
The city mayor said these police officers are just in time with the additional Iloilo City Action and Response (ICARE) Centers, his brainchild project aimed to establish an integrated response network based in every district and bring safety services closer to the people.
The facility will be composed, among others, of Public Safety and Transportation Management Office, police, and fire personnel.
Four of the eight target ICARE centers are already operational, including the ICARE Command Center at Gaisano Time Square along Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue in Mandurriao district.
Treñas added the city would also start constructing a multi-level parking building adjacent to the city hall where a police station will be established, particularly on the ground floor.
“Because we need a police station that will cover the whole of the waterfront area, including ang City Proper naton,” said Treñas. “We have so many plans; we continue to adopt, and nagapasalamat gid ko sa bulig sang tanan, ang PNP daku nga bulig sa aton…the PNP has been doing a great job.”
Of the additional 68 police personnel, 15 will be assigned to Police Station 1 (City Proper), 11 to Police Station 2 (La Paz), five to Police Station 3 (Jaro), 10 to Police Station 4 (Molo), six to Police Station 5 (Mandurriao), and eight to Police Station 6 (Arevalo). Three personnel will join the ICPO Traffic Enforcement Unit and 10 will be with the Mobile Patrol Unit.
They would also augment the workforce for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
“I expect them to perform their given task with zeal and dedication, especially this coming election,” said Villaflor./PN
