CCPO prepares for ‘summer’ activities

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 1,649 personnel from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) are set for deployment in the Oplan SumVac (Summer Vacation) to enforce the proper observance of the minimum health standard protocols.

Police Major Eraño Regidor, information officer of the CCPO, presented that Oplan SumVac is a program which ensures the safety and security of motorists, commuters, and tourists, who will visit places of convergence this Lenten season up to summer.

This is also to make sure that health protocols are being followed by the public at all times.

According to Eraño, the uniformed personnel and force multipliers will be deployed in different areas of convergence in Cebu City starting Monday, March 29.

He added that despite their insufficient strength on their personnel, their security plan for the Lenten until the summer season is already set.

The CCPO has enough personnel to deploy within the jurisdiction of Station 5, or the Carbon Police Station, to focus on the area and avoid crowding due to the public’s clamor for “binignit,” a dish popular during Holy Week.

It is believed that overcrowding in the market last year because of “binignit” was the cause for a rise of COVID cases.

Apart from police augmentation, they will also install nine transport house terminals for police assistance.

In Station 1 (Parian Police Station), they will put up one transport house terminal, two in Station 2 (Fuente Police Station) and Station 3 (Waterfront Police Station), and four in Station 5 (Carbon Police Station).

He further said that their distribution of police force will be more on the areas of convergence such as in malls, markets, and terminals.

As reported last March 23, CCPO Director Josefino Ligan announced that they will raise a full alert status for this coming Holy Week 2021.

This means that all the personnel will be in their respective stations ready for deployment at any time needed. This is a week-long status as preparation for the observance of Holy Week 2021 and also in line with the summer vacation.

In Cebu City, they will coordinate all their police operational activities in securing road assistance, road security, traffic management, anti-criminality activities, and among others. — GMR (FREEMAN)