ILOILO City – The Treñas administration has significantly bolstered the efforts of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), investing nearly P600 million in resources, infrastructure, and strategic peace and order initiatives since 2019.
According to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, this support has not only strengthened operational capabilities of the local police but also reinforced the community’s trust and safety.
“When I returned to City Hall as mayor in 2019, my vision was clear: to transform Iloilo City into a more livable and welcoming place for both Ilonggos and visitors. Ensuring peace and order was a top priority, which is why we immediately began investing significant support to the police,” Treñas recalled.
Using the General Fund, the Iloilo City Government has appropriated the following total amount per year, from 2019 to 2025, to the operating expense of the ICPO:
* P54.1 million in 2019
* P43.4 million in 2020
* P59.4 million in 2021
* P196.3 million in 2022
* P76.3 million in 2023
* P47.5 million in 2024
* P118.5 million in 2025
Specifically, the Treñas admin has provided crucial resources such as patrol cars, firearms, motorcycles, bicycles and allowances for travel, meals, trainings, office supplies, fuel, and funds for drug-clearing operations.
The city government also funded the construction of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Headquarters and Firing Range.
The assistance to the police also covers the establishment of eight Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARE) centers in strategic locations in different districts of the city.
The very first center in the metropolis is the state-of-the-art Henry Sy Gaisano ICARE, which serves as the command center. The ICARE centers house not only the police but also other frontline agencies like the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Traffic and Transportation Management Office to ensure that their assistance could be readily deployed when needed.
Others ICARE facilities are located in barangays Calumpang, Ungka, Tanza Esperanza, Nabitasan, Megaworld, Taal, and So-oc with total appropriation of P269.7 million including the 2025 allocation.
“I’d like to emphasize that we are using our local funds, sourced from the taxes we collect, to support these valuable projects. By reinvesting in our community, we are enhancing services and ensuring a peaceful and safe place for our residents,” the city mayor stressed.
Treñas pledged continuing support for the ICPO, especially with the establishment of four newly established police stations to the city’s existing six.
“We will continue to back our local police. For example, we plan to procure more patrol cars for them. Ongoing collaboration is essential to ensure the safety and security of our community,” the city mayor said.
RESULTS
The ICPO, meanwhile, has played its part by performing well in its efforts against illegal drugs and criminal activities as reflected in their numerous accomplishments.
For this year alone, the ICPO has confiscated a total of 3.86 kilos of shabu worth P26.17 million, leading to the arrest of 150 drug personalities through relentless police operations as of Feb. 28.
“We will never get tired of commending our policemen. By doing their job, we’re able to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs, and we’re able to protect our community especially our youth, who are the most vulnerable to this menace,” Treñas said while commending the leadership of ICPO director, Police Colonel Kim Legada.
For the anti-illegal drug operations alone, from January 1, 2019 to October 31, 2024, the ICPO conducted 1,334 police operations, including 1,219 buy-bust operations, resulting in the arrest of 1,904 individuals — comprising 1,803 pushers and 101 users.
Through these operations, nearly 29 kilos of shabu, 127 grams of marijuana, and 200 ml of rugby were confiscated.
The combined efforts and achievements of the ICPO result in creating a safer and more peaceful environment for residents and visitors of the city.
Also, part of the city government’s effort is to reward the best-performing police station with the highest accomplishments, particularly in anti-drug efforts.
The ICPO, meantime, expressed its gratitude to Treñas for the city government’s consistent support.
“The resources and morale boost from our mayor, along with the encouragement from the local government and the appreciation of the Ilonggos, are what drive us to work harder and achieve even more in our duty to maintain peace and order in Iloilo City,” said Legada. He also reaffirmed ICPO’s commitment to persistently combating illegal drugs and ensuring the safety of all Ilonggos.
NO DRUG LORDS IN ILOILO CITY
Meanwhile, there are no existing drug lords in Iloilo City, based on the continuous monitoring and validation of the police, according to ICPO spokesperson Police Major Shella Mae Sangrines.
She emphasized that the campaign against illegal drugs remains a priority thrust of the ICPO, thus, the relentless operations resulting to confiscation of volumes of suspected shabu.
“Through our previously arrested individuals, we are able to trace links to their sources, which is why we are now capturing bigger targets as we continuously escalate our efforts against high-value targets,” explained Sangrines.
The police official also cited that economic factors are luring some individuals into the illegal drug trade, which benefits drug personalities who have been released from prison and maintain connections to suppliers./PN
