Cops put on foot patrol in Mananga

CEBU, Philippines - Following the death of one of its members, the police in Talisay City have placed six policemen on foot patrol in the crime-prone area under the Mananga Bridge in barangay Tabunok.

Senior Inspector Errol Francis Deveyra, officer-in-charge of the Talisay City Police Station, revealed that the team, composed of five Field Training Program (FTP) police with PO3 Ferdinand Pablo as their supervisor, has started patrolling early this week.

Deveyra said the team is visible in the area from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After that, they would be seen roving the Mananga Bridge, where robbery incidents are rampant.

Deveyra said the police are doing this to prevent anymore crimes in the area, especially that one of their members, PO1 William Mangubat, was shot to death last week after responding to a robbery alarm.

Almost everyday specially during nighttime, cases of holdup or snatching take place near the Mananga Bridge.

Police investigations have revealed robbers would take the south-bound PUJ and divest passengers of their valuables when the PUJ is somewhere in the Bulacao area.

They would then alight near the Mananga Bridge and run to the nearby sitio Mananga 2, which has now gained the title of "sitio Kawatan," the place where robbers are suspected to reside.

Based on the records of the city hall, sitio Mananga 2 has more than 1,000 residents mostly living in shanties.

And according to police reports, most of these individuals are not natives of Talisay City.

After Mangubat's death, Deveyra has warned his men assigned in the area to be extra careful this time, as the robbers themselves are armed.

In last week's heist, one of the two suspects was reportedly armed with a .45 caliber pistol, the same gun allegedly used in shooting Mangubat.

Meanwhile, the police have also coordinated with the barangay officials. Barangay chief Manuel Cabriana, for his part, has sent tanods to do their own patrolling under the Mananga Bridge.