Tomas tells Garma: Beef up your security

CEBU, Philippines — Mayor Tomas Osmeña is advising Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Royina Garma, who is allegedly receiving death threats, to beef up her security detail for safety purposes.

However, Osmeña admitted that he is not privy to the death threats that the lady police official reportedly has been receiving.

“I don’t know her background.  I cannot comment on that, let her increase her security,” he said.

Last Wednesday, Garma disclosed that drug lords detained at the National Bilibid Prison reportedly has put up a P20-million bounty for her death.

She revealed the matter through The FREEMAN Conversations which was streamed online.

Garma said she was informed by her concerned friends when she was appointed as the new CCPO director.

Last July 1, Garma officially assumed office as the new CCPO director, replacing Sr. Supt. Joel Doria, whose two-year stint ended.

Due to the alleged death threats, she had to beef up her security.

Meanwhile, Osmeña disagreed with Garma, who claimed there is no series of killings in the city.

Osmeña said let the people assess the real situation of the city.

He had earlier branded Cebu City as “criminal city” because the number of killings in the city was rising. He said the city is no longer safe.

“They say Cebu is safe. It’s not safe. I told you that already. It’s not safe. Something is wrong. Something is out of place,” Osmeña earlier said.

But still, he will give Garma a chance to resolve the killings, despite the police official’s stand that there is no spate of killings in Cebu.

“Let us give her a chance, okay? Like Doria, we will give her a chance,” she said.

However, Osmeña prefered not to give initial assessment of Garma’s performance for he wants the people to do it.

“Let the people do the assessment. Why I have to do that? It’s self-serving,” he said. — GAN (FREEMAN)