Councilors on P50T assistance to cops: Aid can spur lawlessness

CEBU, Philippines — Opposition councilors believe the move of Mayor Tomas Osmeña to provide cash assistance to cops who can kill criminals will encourage the police to break the law.

“That kind of incentive to cops would push the cops to break the law. I’m just wondering what’s going on with the mind of the mayor… He is promoting lawlessness and violence. Definitely, this is not the way to promote peace and order,” said Councilor Jose Daluz III.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera shares the concern.

“That’s very dangerous. It is the duty of the police to protect the people. If there are those who violate the law, they have the duty to follow the protocol.

By such statement, the mayor is encouraging the police to violate the protocol just to receive the monetary assistance,” she said.

Earlier, the mayor said the city will give P50,000 legal assistance to cops here who can kill criminals in the line of duty.

He said the money is not a reward but assistance to cops who can be ineffective because they do not have enough to defend themselves, especially when they are in trouble in line with their work.

But Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia said Osmeña better leave police matters to the President, if not to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Ako pa niya no, dili nalang siya magpapulis-pulis diha. One such councilor from his party is doing that already. Leave that to the police and president Duterte. They are doing a fantastic job,” he said.

Councilor Joel Garganera believes Osmeña is but copying Duterte’s strategy of suppressing criminality.

"Giving financial assistance for legal to policeman who encountered cases in the line of duty is great, but when he mentioned that criminal should be killed as a requisite to avail such assistance, to me, again, he is nothing but a second rate trying hard copy cat of Digong. He wants to sound like him but it turned out to be a very OA version," Garganera said.

Osmeña has explained he will use his discretionary fund to finance the program. For 2017, the mayor has P 7.4 million in discretionary funds and P 7.8 million for 2018.

He came up with the idea after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that the Philippine National Police is back to support the Philippine Drug Enforcement Drug Agency (PDEA) in the fight against illegal drugs.

Commenting on the opposition councilors’ sentiments, the mayor said:

“I’m just offsetting the vocal support Team Drama is giving to drug protectors like barangay Ermita officials,” he said.

Welcome

As the debate continues at the City Hall, city policemen welcome Osmeña’s move.

Police Supt. Artemio Ricabo, deputy director of the Cebu City Police Office, said the assistance would be a big help as legal proceedings can be very costly.

"Mas maayo. Magpasalamat ta og aduna silay ihatag nga cash intended for legal assistance sa atong mga police," Ricabo said.

"Bintaha nalang gyud nga muhatag si mayor og legal aid. Maayo nalang ma-feel pod sa atong kapulisan nga gisuportahan sa atong gobyerno ang atong kompanya sa drugas," he added.

To appease the councilors, Ricabo said cops will continue to be mindful of operational procedures.

He said, though, that they cannot promise zero casualty in all operations because there will be instances when suspects resist arrest.

Info drive

Now that the police are back in the frontline in the war on drugs, Chief Supt. Jose Mario Espino of the Police Regional Office (PRO) - 7, said information drive in schools will be strengthened to address demand reduction.

"We in PRO-7 have coordinated with (a non-government organization or NGO) to conduct trainers' seminar. In order to bring yung drug assistance, abuse resistance education, to the different schools," Espino said.

"Yan ang isang project na maitutulong ng PRO-7 in the demand reduction strategy," he said.

Moreover, Espino said drug surrenderers have to take the initiative to avail of the rehabilitation programs from local government units. — With Ermida Q. Moradas and Mae Clydyl L. Avila /JMO (FREEMAN)