City policemen deployed to secure schools during Akrho anniversary

The Cebu City Police Office yesterday deployed policemen in schools in response to a request from a university for security support while the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity is celebrating its 33rd anniversary.

City Police acting director, Supt. Melvin Gayotin, told The Freeman that he had ordered the Carbon Police and the Mambaling Police stations to detail policemen in the schools requesting for police security.

Gayotin also ordered the Crime Suppression Units and Mobile Patrol Group to conduct patrols along schools to avert any trouble that might occur during the fraternity celebration.

The University of Cebu-Main in Sanciangko Street and its Maritime Education and Technical Center in barangay Mambaling, through its civil security unit, wrote to the City Police requesting for policemen to secure the campuses from fraternity violence.

Akrho regional president Richard Buscaino, in a telephone interview, told The Freeman that the four-day celebration already started Saturday.

Akrho has an estimated 15,000 members from Metro Cebu and the province, and Buscaino said the fraternity's leaders held a convention in a downtown hotel Sunday and yesterday.

Buscaino said a fraternity caravan would be staged today with thousands of members from Cebu province expected to participate.

Last year's caravan drew criticisms from the public after some of the fraternity members showed up naked while shouting on top of the roof of their vehicles.

Buscaino hoped that nothing of the same would happen this time because Akrho already directed its members not to join the caravan if they are inebriated.

Other activities today are the cleaning-up of the shores of the South Reclamation Project, and bloodletting at the Ayala Center in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross and the Rotary Club Banilad-Metro.

The anniversary bash will culminate with a celebration at Ratsky in Ayala. - Edwin Ian Melecio