Police drills cause stir

CEBU, Philippines - Bank robbery, carnapping and homicide were among the cases simulated by the Cebu City Police Office yesterday to test how effective is the clustering of police stations in responding to crime incidents.

The simulation of the actual police operations have sent some people to panic.

The police first responded to a simulated bank robbery at 2 p.m. yesterday near the Cebu City Hall.

Rachel, 25, a student, came from Basilica del Santo Niño when she met policemen armed with high-powered firearms storming the bank.

 “Nahadlok gyud ko uy kay mura gyu’d og tinuod. Gi-pasulod man gali mi sa pulis sa Magellan’s Cross kay naa kunoy tulis (I was really frightened because it was like a real situation. We were even ordered to get inside the Magellan’s Cross because there was an ongoing robbery),” she said.

Some City Hall employees also ran inside the stores after seeing members of the Special Weapons and Tactic positioned themselves.

Waterfront Police Station chief Andres Bayarcal told The FREEMAN that they responded like it was a real robbery incident. He said bank customers were shocked to see policemen coming into the bank because they were not aware of the drill.

“Wala gyu’d nagpahibaw ang manager nga naay simulation. Nahadlok nuon ang mga customer mura gyud siya nga ang the real McCoy (the bank manager did not announce that there is an ongoing simulation. The customers got panicked because it was like a real McCoy),” Bayarcal said.

As part of the plan, the operation universe was activated wherein all available police units in the city were required to respond.

Chief Insp. Bonifacio Garciano, chief of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch, said there were also policemen who posed as robbers.

“Naa mi gipagukod sa mga pulis aron among ma-test ang response sa mga pulis sa laing mga clusters,” he said.

Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said the purpose of the clustering is to avoid overlapping and properly use their manpower. He said all police stations under a specific quadrant are required to coordinate with each other in responding to crime incidents.

The conduct of chokepoints and checkpoints, he said, can be done effectively in the least time possible to apprehend criminal elements.

The first simulation was done within Cluster “A” composing of the Parian Police Station, Police Station 2 (Fuente), Waterfront Police Station, Mabolo Police Station and the Tourist Police.

Similar simulations were also done thirty minutes later in a bank in Punta Princesa, under cluster “B” composing of Pardo Police Station, Punta Princesa Police Station, Mambaling Police Station and the Cebu City Public Safety Company (CCPSC).  

Operatives from the Mabolo Police Station, Talamban Police Station and the CCPSC which comprises the cluster “D” responded to the third scenario, a simulated carnapping and homicide incident in Barangay Talamban at 4 p.m.

The last incident was a simulated carnapping incident in Barangay Guadalupe for cluster D.

The result of the assessment will be announced today.—(FREEMAN)