Cebu biz sector expresses support for PNP 7 to maintain peace & order

‘as Cebu joins celeb of Nat’l Crime Prevention Week’

By Fayette C. Riñen

Wednesday 5th of September 2012

CEBU CITY, Sept. 5 (PIA) -- Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) expressed its commitment to help the police in its efforts to maintain a safe and peaceful climate as they recognize that peace and order is vital for the growth of the business sector.

Joe Ng, chairman of the ‘Adopt-A-Police-Station’ Project of the CCCI said that since 2005, five new police stations in Cebu City have been constructed amounting to P20 million and another two more police stations will be built soon.

Ng said the project was conceptualized in 2002 when he used to be the president of the CCCI with the aim to just repair dilapidated police stations.

“I talked with Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama who was then acting mayor at that time and the police which an agreement about the project was later on signed. Our first project was the Mabolo Police Station which we repaired but then, there was a problem later on because the lot was not theirs. So we decided that we had to ensure the lot where the police station is based must be permanent before we could identify the next police station to be repaired,” Ng said.

Even after his term as CCCI president, Ng continued his efforts to seek for donations from businessmen or foundations that are willing to help the police have a decent workplace.

“Our businessmen are willing to help the police construct their own police stations and what they are just asking in return is for the police to maintain it,” Ng said during the weekly PIA forum this morning that tackled on the celebration of the National Crime Prevention Week from September 1 to 7.

Ted Locson, vice president of external affairs and relations division of the CCCI in the same forum said the project is also a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the police for their efforts in maintaining an environment where the communities are safe as well as conducive for business investments.

“We also want to promote the morale of the policemen by offering them a decent workplace. Because from what we have also seen, the police stations are not in good working condition and their cell area is cramped," said Locson. Some stations does not also have a separate cell for men and women, he added.

“Satisfactory” was the description used by Locson in rating police efforts in addressing crime incidence as what is important “is that there is an open line of communication between the business sector and the police,” added the CCCI official.

P/Supt. Armando Radoc, acting head of the Police Community Relations Division of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 said the police will continue its best to keep the community safe. He added that one of their anti-criminality measures is to designate one policeman in-charge of one barangay.

“It is very important for the police to personally interact with the community because in this way, we can earn their trust and have their full support and cooperation,” declared Radoc.

Radoc said crime incidence in Central Visayas including Cebu significantly dropped for the past seven months compared to the same period last year.

“Crime prevention is everybody’s concern. So we need the help of every citizen and every sector to sustain our favorable peace and order atmosphere,” emphasized the PRO 7 official.

This year’s National Crime Prevention Week carries the theme “Sa Crime Prevention, May Magagawa Ako.” (FCR/PIA7)