Dino assures local police: ‘President will take care of you’

CEBU, Philippines - Presidential Assistant to the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino yesterday told the local police that the national government would take care of them following the withdrawal of support by the Cebu City government.

In a speech at the Police Regional Office-7 yesterday during the celebration of the Philippine National Police’s 115th anniversary, he said President Rodrigo Duterte will give 15 mobile patrol cars and guns to replace those that the Cebu City government took back, as he extolled the police for their difficult task of keeping the citizenry safe.

He belied the assumption that drug-related killings, both during legitimate police operations and those by unidentified persons, happened only after Duterte became president.

“Before President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office noontime of June 30…572 have died in legitimate police operations around the country and 7,000 have been arrested.

He said Duterte had always called for those involved in the illegal drug trade to surrender and that there should be no let-up in the campaign by employing “matapang na solusyon”, whose result is now being felt in the country.

He also said that with Cebu City withdrawing its support, the national government would give the local police 15 patrol cars.

“The president has been monitoring the plight of the police force, including the Cebu City Police Office. When the news that the vehicles for mobility of our city police force were recalled, President Duterte responded,” Dino said, adding that this was part of the administration’s “mabilis na aksyon” mantra.

“You are (also) worried because more than 50 firearms were withdrawn. Worry no more as President Duterte has instructed to give Cebu City’s police force a number of firearms,” Dino said adding that these are all necessary to make Cebu a safe place to live in,” Dino said.

He said Duterte is also in the process of studying the giving of incentives to the police to motivate them to work hard.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office-7 Director Noli Taliño said he was thankful for the support from the national government to the Cebu City Police Office as the vehicles would be a big help in the campaign against criminality, particularly illegal drugs.

“Nakita namin na ganon ka importante ang PNP sa kanya (Duterte),” he said.

National Police Commission-7 Chief Homer Mariano Cabaral, who was also present, said he too, was glad of the vehicles for CCPO.

It was on Cabaral’s recommendation that the Napolcom stripped Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña of his operational supervision authority over the police after the mayor announced he would withdraw support for the police.

Taliño, though, told the media that Osmeña actually briefly showed up during their celebration to honor PRO-7’s invitation. The mayor, he said, came from the nearby Cebu City Sports Center so he went to the regional headquarters.

Osmeña, however, had to leave as he was not properly attired for the occasion.

Taliño said Osmeña stayed over a cup of coffee even congratulated the police.

When asked if what the mayor did was a good sign, Taliño said it was.  

“Kami naman wala naman kaming problema sa isat-isa. I considered him as a friend,” he said, adding that if the mayor would also invite him to attend a City Hall occasion he would also be present. (FREEMAN)