Police ask public: Bear with us on the checkpoint

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Police Office acting director Mariano Natuel has appealed for public understanding on the inconvenience that the random checkpoints may have caused to them.

Natuel said these checkpoints will be conducted from now on until the midterm elections.

“Please bear with us kay para man sad ni sa kaayohan sa tanan.  Also, the conduct of checkpoints will not cause unnecessary delay to the travelers,” said Natuel.

The 11 police stations under CCPO have been conducting daily checkpoints since Sunday to implement the Comelec gun ban.

He said they will only flag down Public Utility Jeepneys, including private vehicles, for a moment and will just do a visual search.

“Mag-visual search lang ta. Opening of their tool box is allowed. Dili na pakanaugon ang driver hasta ang mga pasahero. Bawal na ‘na,” Natuel further said.

He said the driver and the passengers need not disembark unless the driver or passenger looked suspicious or police receive reports of criminals boarding on the vehicle.

Natuel was scheduled to meet with the 11 station commanders yesterday to give them additional guidelines in the conduct of the checkpoint.

According to Natuel, checkpoints should be conducted at the roadside so as not to hamper the traffic flow. It should be led by a senior officer and personnel in uniform.

Proper signage should be put up on the road visible enough for the public with the name of the Comelec official on it.

Members of the Barangay Peace-keeping Action Team (BPAT) and the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) are only to assist the police, Natuel clarified.

Police have received reports that BPAT and BIN members conduct the checkpoints as if they are the police themselves. — (FREEMAN)