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BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN
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Wednesday, December 21, 2016
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BACOLOD City – Trust. Really?
Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, Negros Island police director, is checking on his subordinates during the holidays – specifically the use of their service firearms.
Gumban has employed “agents,” or civilian informants, to help him.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been sealing the muzzles of service firearms during December to discourage indiscriminate firing.
But earlier this month, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief, said that will not happen this year.
They are breaking tradition to show the public that the police are disciplined and responsible enough in handling guns, he said.
“We need to give our policemen our trust…that [they] will only use them (firearms) in legal police operations,” Chief Inspector Dianne Grace Catedral, Negros Island police spokesperson, had said.
But that is not exactly the case. Across the island, Gumban has around 70 agents who will “immediately report to me if there are police officers using their service firearms indiscriminately.”
“Amo ni sila ang masigasig nga gahatag sang report kon magpalupok ang police,” he told Panay News. “I’m very sure, buong Negros Island Region, may magre-report sa akon.”
Gumban already made mention of such “agents,” who he also uses to monitor possible illegal drug-related activities of the police, during a Regional Peace and Order Council meeting in October in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.
He said the agents send him text messages to his mobile phone number 09188001985.
Gumban stressed the information he receives are being verified.
“Any text, ginapa-validate dayon sa provincial director, city director and R2 (Regional Intelligence Division),” he said, adding that information from his agents are “97-percent” accurate.
Gumban encouraged other civilians to report to him via text any incident of indiscriminate firing and other illegal activities of police officers.
He also called on his colleagues and subordinates to be “responsible” for their actions.
Meanwhile the Negros Island police are carrying out “Oplan Kapaskuhan,” which involves intensified visibility in areas of convergence.
Gumban stressed they remain on “full alert” and “terror alert level 3.”
Despite this, the Negros Island police director clarified that officers will be allowed to take a holiday break.
One batch will have theirs from Dec. 20 to 26, while another batch will take a vacation from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3, 2017.
Gumban assured the number of officers will be enough to ensure safe holidays for civilians./PN
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