Group formed to guide cops

CEBU, Philippines - A new group has been created to provide "external guidance" to the Cebu City police and help them implement the Performance Governance System.

Yesterday, members of the Cebu City Advisory Council for Police Transformation and Development (CACPTD) took their oath of commitment during the police advisory council summit.

Headed by Councilor Joel Garganera, the new group is composed of representatives from the academe, business, government, and religious sectors, among others. 

"(Kon) naay mga gagmay’ng mga problema, ma-tap ni sila. Dili lang sila pwede moyangungo didto sa police hierarchy or diri sa City Hall," Garganera told reporters.

Garganera said CACPTD is a police-initiated body and independent from the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC), which is an attached office of the Cebu City government.

PCAC is composed of law enforcement units of traffic, jail facilities, and police, among others. During the time of former mayor Michael Rama, Garganera sat as a PCAC member. 

Garganera said the group intends to show the public that peace and order is not just a concern of the police but "a collective community effort."

Aside from providing guidance, CACPTD can also reportedly assess the capacities and capabilities of the police in responding to crime or alarms.

So far, Garganera said, he would rate the city police "good," taking into account its lack of resources.

He explained that by assessing the competence of the police, CACPTD will know what the police need to make their work better like transportation, communication, logistics, or resources. (FREEMAN)