Lack of equipment hounds cops in disaster response

CEBU, Philippines - With the onset of rainy season, Cebu Provincial Police Office admitted of not well-equipped in responding flash floods and landslides in Cebu province but said they have the manpower to help the local government unit in responding to the problems.

Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, CPPO director, said they have personnel trained in responding to search and rescue operations in case there is a need for such.

“Kay honestly walay kahimanan ang kapulisan but we have trained personnel kay ang LGU man lang ang naay equipment kay we are more on collaboration,” Gillamac said in a phone interview.

The CPPO will be tapped by the LGU in preparation for safety of residents as well as they will help in doing preemptive measures.

Gillamac said that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has a very good relationship with the police.

He further admitted that as front liners in responding to flash floods and landslides, they found it hard to immediately address the matter but with the generosity of the provincial government, Gillamac hopes they could have their own equipment.

Gillamac cited that Midwestern towns and cities of Toledo and Naga are considered as landslide prone areas based on previous incidents while, coastal areas of Talisay City and Minglanilla towns are pointed as flood prone areas.

Early this week, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has officially announced the start of the rainy season as declared by the Visayas chief Oscar Tabada.

This was based on criteria set by state weather bureau which include presence of a tropical cyclone, shift from northeast monsoon (Amihan) to southeast (Habagat), extreme west provinces of the country experiencing at least one millimeter of rain.

Meanwhile, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas has directed the country’s local chief executives to aim for zero casualty when they draw up their respective disaster preparedness plan in time.

Weather forecasters claimed that the country might be in for two or three storms this month.

Roxas stressed also that all disaster response officers are expected to come up with an effective alert mechanism that would provide their constituents in danger areas with enough lead time to evacuate to safer grounds.  (FREEMAN)