PRO-7 assures: Routine functions of cops to remain during APEC

CEBU, Philippines - Amid hectic preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, the Police Regional Office-7 guarantees that policemen will still perform their duties and responsibilities to the community.

Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Regional Directorial Staff, said even though the PRO-7 is busy for the preparations of the APEC summit, it does not mean they will forget their duties in Central Visayas.

“The people might think we are already very focused to the APEC summit and we will forget about the routinary functions of the police. But no,” said Lawas.

In fact, Lawas said majority of the police force in all police units in the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Cebu, and the Cebu province will still perform their regular functions during the APEC summit.

“Since the major activities are in here (Cebu), we situated that the 70 percent of the personnel in every police unit (of the cities of Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Cebu and Cebu province) will be for the regular function while the 30 percent will be devoted for the APEC,” said Lawas.

He said they will be asking assistance from the provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor for augmentation of police personnel so that the police’s regular functions will not be affected during the APEC summit.

Lawas said probably by next week, which would be the week before the start of the APEC summit in Cebu, the augmented personnel from the three provinces will arrive as PRO-7 starts the deployment by that time.

Initially, PRO-7 planned to coordinate with region-6 for augmentation of police personnel. However, Lawas said the PRO-6 will also need their policemen since there will also be APEC-related meetings in their area.

Even with that, Lawas said PRO-7 can still provide the necessary personnel for regular deployment. Around 3,000 policemen from the region will be deployed for the APEC summit.

He said there will also be assistance and augmentation from other units to help maintain peace and order during the APEC meetings.

“Of course there will be augmentation also coming from the Special Action Force and the Highway Patrol Unit on special purposes,” said Lawas.  (FREEMAN)