New peace and order council to replace PCAC

CEBU, Philippines - The existing Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) of Cebu City might soon be abolished once the Cebu City Peace and Order Council will be in place to act as the policy-making body for matters relating to peace and order in the city.

The City Council has agreed to organize the CCPOC, which would still be headed by the mayor or his duly authorized representative, but unlike PCAC, the new body will reportedly have more members from different government agencies.

Some members of the existing PCAC are being carried over to the proposed CCPOC but the group’s membership has been expanded to 20.

Asked what would happen to PCAC once the CCPOC is in place, Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. told Vice Mayor Augustus Young, “I don’t know… maybe it can be absorbed as member of the peace and order council.”

Councilor Edgardo Labella, chairman of the Council’s committee on laws, said the Local Government Code provides for the creation of a peace and order council in every province, city and municipality.

Labella said Republic Act 7160 provides that the different legislative bodies of local government units shall enact measures to prevent and suppress lawlessness, disorder, riot, violence and other disturbance.

Under the proposed ordinance, the vice mayor shall act as the vice chair with members from the City Council who will head the committee on peace and order.

The other proposed members of CCPOC include the regional directors of the Philippine National Police, National Police Commission, National Bureau of Investigation, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Trade and Industry, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, commander of the AFP Central Command, City Prosecutor, Cebu City police, the heads of the Department of Social Welfare and Services, Department of Engineering and Public Works, Public Information Officer, Executive Director of CITOM, a representative from the veterans organizations and three private sector representatives.

Each member who will attend the two-hour meeting in person will be entitled to a P1,000 honorarium.

Meanwhile, at the Cebu City Police Office, Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe announced yesterday that the “Oplan Pakigsandurot” will be revived starting next month.

The “Oplan Pakigsandurot” is a community-based crime prevention program that taps policemen to keep an eye on criminal elements in the barangays where they live.

Buenafe said a meeting with station commanders from Police Stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 and barangay captains in the city’s north district will be conducted at the Rizal Public Library on September 3. A separate meeting will be conducted with barangay captains in the city’s south district.  (FREEMAN)