New CCPO chief vows tighter school security

CEBU, Philippines — Tighter school security measures with stronger barangay support, are among the top priorities of the newly appointed acting chief of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Police Colonel Ricky Sumalde, as he also vowed to sustain the programs implemented by his predecessor.

In an interview yesterday, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed that Sumalde, who recently replaced Police Colonel George Ylanan as CCPO chief, has committed to sustaining the initiatives that have already been implemented.

Archival explained that the two officers had already discussed the continuity of programs, particularly those focused on school safety.

“The programs of George are still relevant, and Colonel Sumalde is continuing them. One of the priorities they talked about is schools,” Archival noted.

The mayor emphasized that coordination is underway with all 13 police stations in Cebu City, including those covering upland barangays, to ensure that schools are given priority protection.

Police officers will be deployed to campuses, with support from barangay tanods, who are mandated to assist in safeguarding educational institutions.

“Aside from the police, we will also have barangay tanods. It is part of their structure to help schools by providing manpower,” Archival said.

Archival also addressed the issue of death threats and hoax bomb scares that have recently disrupted Cebu City.

He instructed the police office to organize a 24-hour bomb disposal and special response unit to ensure an immediate response whenever reports are received through email, Messenger, or phone calls.

“We need to respond quickly. Most of the threats we’ve seen are hoaxes meant to disturb the city, harass people, and inconvenience establishments like malls. They are simply pranks,” he explained.

Authorities have already identified one suspect, a 13-year-old, who has been referred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Other individuals behind similar threats are still being traced.

Archival acknowledged that many of these cases involve minors engaging in disruptive behavior without fully understanding the consequences.

“Possible prosecution is being considered, but we must carefully study how to treat minors. This is very fragile. There are laws that protect children, and we must be critical in handling these cases,” he emphasized. — /IHM (FREEMAN)