MOA proposed to set protocols
By Alison Fuentes
CNU Communication Intern
CEBU CITY (June 13, 2024) – The city’s 80 barangays and 11 police stations need to collaborate better in pursuing criminality, according to the city’s Peace and Order Program (POP) executive director.
But on top of this, Pastor “Jongjong” Alcover II also found the need for the same to agree where their territorial boundaries and jurisdictions lie and establish more proactive protocols in cross-border teamwork.
Lawyer Lecel R. Llamedo, regional legal unit chief of the National Police Commission (Napolcom-7), agrees with Alcover along with his suggestion to forge a memorandum of agreement (MOA) among the barangays and police stations.
The MOA will be the basis for enforcers assigned in police stations and barangay tanods to cross boundaries to pursue criminal offenders, Alcover explained in POP Peace Talks over Sugboanon Channel.
It would also mean that police officer and tanods on the other side of a boundary or jurisdiction will need to work with and assist the pursuing enforcers, he added.
“Karon man gud, ang usa ka problema nato, kay ang atong kapulisan, tungod sa (issue on jurisdiction), … dili sila manghilabot didto (sa pikas),” said Alcover.
‘Pasa-pasa’
He lamented about the prevailing “pasa-pasa” practice in handling complaints due to lack of territorial jurisdiction, recalling an experience he had before when he served as barangay captain of Agsungot.
“Daghan na mo text nako kaniadto pa to (nga) wala man masulod sa Station 8 ang Sirao. Inig ask nako og assistance, moingon dayon ang Station 8 nga, ‘Kap, mura’g sa Station 4 na siya nasulod. Kinahanglan, adto sa Station 4,” he shared.
Station 8 of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is based in Talamban that manages a hinterland precinct in Adlaon, while Station 4 is based in Mabolo that also sustains a precinct in Malubog, another upland barangay.
Llamedo, also Napolcom-7’s city officer for Cebu highly urbanized cities, pointed out that law enforcers are duty-bound to either pursue or assist when tracking a crime goes beyond their respective jurisdiction.
“Kabalo ta ana’ng area of jurisdiction, pero they can still assist ba,” she said.
“Kung dili na inyoha, at least contact nalang ninyo daan ang personnel concerned ana nga station, para ma-heads up na sila daan, dili na ma pasa-pasa ang complainant,” she added.
‘Ba-bye ba-bye’
Both Alcover and Llamedo noted the reality that pursuing enforcers hesitate to pursue suspects who cross beyond their jurisdictions, and their counterparts are often passive about taking over, often for lack of ample information.
“Ang kaning mga badlongon nga snatcher, mga bata mag-pabadlong, inig gukod sa mga tanod, motabok na gali na (sa pikas) mo-ba-bye ba-bye nalang kay di na man mogukod didto kay lahi na nga barangay sad,” Alcover said.
With a MOA establishing protocols for collaboration, he said it will help reduce and contain crimes in the city, adding the complainants will not just benefit from it but the whole city as well.
Karon man gud, ang usa ka problema nato, kay ang atong kapulisan, tungod sa (issue on jurisdiction), … dili sila manghilabot didto (sa pikas)
POP executive director Pastor “Jongjong” Alcover II
Alcover told Cebu City News after the teleradyo program that the MOA will help in harmonizing barangays and stations to uphold and maintain peace and order in the city.
“We will convene all our chiefs of police para ato pu’ng mapatabangan,” Llamedo commented. | RMN / af
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