BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, March 7 (PIA) --
Central Visayas Police Chief Gen. Danilo Constantino has given marching orders
to his men to reduce street crimes by 50 percent and increase crime solution
efficiency rate in the region starting this year. This is part of the commitment
of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) to the possible holding of some
ministerial meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Cebu in
2015.
Constantino said he met with the APEC
National Organizing Committee during the team’s visit here over a month ago and
assured them the provisional security plan is already in place.
“Bringing down street crimes will now
be included in the Performance Governance System Report of every police
office,” bared Constantino during the recent monthly police forum ‘Talakayan sa
Isyung Pulis’ or TSIP at the police media conference room.
Street crimes recorded are snatching,
theft and hold-up as Constantino told police units to heighten police
visibility in crime prone areas as part of the anti-criminality measures in
crime prevention.
Constantino said there is no official
notice yet that Cebu will be included in the list of venues for some of the
ministerial meetings for the APEC event, which next year will be the turn of
the Philippines to host after 18 years. The Philippines hosted the APEC Summit
in 1996.
Early last month, the APEC-NOC team
headed by Ambassador Ma. Angelina Sta. Catalina came to Cebu to conduct an
overall ocular inspection and validate the preparations done by Cebu for the
possible hosting of some APEC meetings.
“The security plan for APEC is already
in place. What we lack are just the specifics like as the venues and the number
of participants,” said Constantino.
Likewise, the police regional chief
also wanted the crime solution efficiency (CSE) and the crime clearance
efficiency (CCE) to increase by 10 percent. The CSE refers to the resolution of
crimes while the CCE are cases that have been filed in the proper courts but
perpetrators are still at large.
Apart from the preparedness of the
local organizers to host some of the events, peace and order was identified as
one of the major criteria to choose the venue.
Constantino said reducing street crimes
is part of the total package to further cement the image of Central Visayas as
a tourism destination, which can be highlighted with the hosting of some APEC
meetings here. Though Cebu has been identified as a likely venue for some
meetings, there might be side trips that could showcase the other provinces in
Central Visayas as well.
The PRO-7 chief said the creation of task forces in the cities of
Cebu, Mandaue and Lapulapu are ready once it would be finalized that Cebu would
be the venue of some ministerial meetings of the 2015 APEC Summit. (mbcn/PIA-7)