ILOILO City – There are not enough policemen in this city, according to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas. He is thus requesting Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benjamin Abalos for additional deployment.
Ideally, a city with around half a million population needs 1,000 policemen, he said.
Treñas admitted he is not satisfied with the performance of the local police especially in the campaign against illegal drugs even if the city government has been very supportive of the city police force.
“Ang suporta ta sa police sobra-sobra. Ang pangayuon ta lang kay Secretary Abalos dugangan police ta,” said Treñas.
The city government allocates a minimum of P50 million to the city police annually for, among others, police patrol cars, firearms and ammunition.
“Ang focus gid naton anti-drugs campaign. Nakita ta amat-amat naman saka ang cases sang mga drug-related (activities). Amo na nga we are calling the police to (step up) para matapna ni ang halit sa sosyodad ta nga droga,” the city mayor said.
Abalos has been in the city since yesterday for a two-day visit.
He is set to meet with the Regional Management Coordinating Council 6 composed of the DILG-LG, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Philippine Public Safety College to emphasize his peace and order agenda focusing on the government’s call to fight against illegal drugs, through the department’s “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” or BIDA Program.
He and Treñas yesterday led the ceremonial turnover of a three-storey health center and a school building in Barangay Dungon B, Jaro district.
The P120-million project is under the Local Government Support Fund Programs – Support to the Barangay Development Program (LGSF-SBDP) and Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU).
Barangay Dungon B is one of the six barangays in this southern city that are beneficiaries of the LGSF-SBDP.
Meanwhile, Treñas assured the city government ‘s support to all the programs of the DILG.
“I think it is incumbent upon us, local chief executives, including the barangay captains nga mabulig gid sa programa ni Secretary Abalos,” he said.
Abalos also had a dialogue with local chief executives of Western Visayas as well as different government agencies.
It centered on the DILG’s thrust to improve economic strategies, social transformation, and peace and order of local government units.
The DILG executive’s visit aims to strengthen the national development roadmap through an intensified national and local government connections.
This is in line with the DILG role in setting the local government units towards the thrusts of the department, in view of the 2023-2028 Philippine Development Plan. (With reports from Philippine News Agency)/PN
