Over 150 trafficked persons rescued in C. Visayas
since 2009 by Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force
by Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 30 (PIA) – Since 2009, the Regional Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (RATF) in Central Visayas has conducted 20 rescue operations that resulted to the rescue of 165 trafficked victims including 40 minors.
Police Inspector Mary Grace Pertez of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office (PRO) here claimed that of the combined rescue operations made, 50 suspects were arrested.
“Cases are now filed against the suspects and up to now, they are still ongoing,” according to Pertez.
Last year, the International Justice Mission recorded 52 sex trafficking victims rescued by law enforcement agencies in Metro Cebu and 89 on 2009. Forty-one suspects were arrested in 2009 and 19 suspects were collared last year, this is reported.
In early April, law enforcement agencies rescued 146 women from the Club Jaguar KTV in Barangay Kasambangan, Cebu City where seven people face charges of violating RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. Thirty five of the rescued women are suspected to be minors and are now under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development here.
Just this month, a couple from Cordova was arrested for pimping their own children through cyber pornography.
PRO-7 Deputy Regional Director for Administration C/Supt. Samuel Yordan admitted that the problem of ”human trafficking in the region particularly in Cebu City is a little bit grave compared to other areas” because the end users are here.
Yordan added that poverty is the biggest factor why human trafficking exists.
Cebu City Police Director S/Supt. Melvin “Ramon” Buenafe meanwhile, said they have a list of nine night spots or bars that are under close monitoring and that the RTAF will have the support of the city police in case of raids.
Yordan however, said that even though the police can always get the list of night spots in their area but “they can never conduct any raid based on suspicions that illegal activities are held inside.”
“We need to get a court order before we can conduct any raid because we also have to respect the privacy of the establishment,” Yordan added. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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Fun bike to open observance of Nat’l Disaster Consciousness Month in Cebu
by Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 30 (PIA) -- Instead of the usual motorcade, members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) here and other stakeholders will saddle a bike to open the National Disaster Consciousness Month tomorrow.
Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) -7 Disaster Risk Reduction Officer Neil Sanchez bared that at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, bikers will start their journey from Central Command Headquarters in Camp Lapulapu, Barangay Apas going to Osmeña Boulevard to the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) for the press conference.
Another highlight to kick off the celebration will be a demonstration of a Mass Casualty Incident at the DOH-7 grounds to witness how concerned government agencies are prepared to handle immediate disaster response.
Sanchez urged sister government agencies and other offices to display streamer and help drumbeat public awareness on the annual observance.
As the country averages over 20 typhoons in a year and that due to global warming brought about by climate change, has increased the risks
“Our focus now is no longer on disaster response but rather, on pre-disaster measures to lessen the impact of the calamity,” according to Sanchez.
The OCD-7 officer added that local government units (LGUs) play a very vital role in putting in place the necessary measures to mitigate the effects of disasters, which we cannot prevent.
“Under the law, LGUs can spend 70 percent of their disaster funding on pre-disaster programs and only 30 percent is allotted to disaster response,” Sanchez declared.
Sanchez urged the public especially those residing in flood-prone areas or in mountain barangays at risk for landslides and flashfloods for coastal areas to be vigilant at all times.
The Month of July is celebrated as National Disaster Consciousness Month with this year’s theme on “Pag-alerto, Malayo sa Peligro.” (PIA 7-Cebu)
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OCD-7 closely monitors high risk areas
in C. Visayas for flooding amid rainy season
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 29 (PIA) - The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) in Central Visayas is continuously monitoring high-risk areas prone to flooding and flashfloods as part of the disaster mitigation measure amid the onset of the rainy season and the frequency of bad weather conditions bringing heavy rains.
Neil Sanchez of the OCD-7 bared there are 22 listed critical areas in Central Visayas that are being continuously monitored for flooding based on the risk assessment of areas susceptible to landslide and floods as rated by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7.
Of the figure, nine high risk areas are found in Cebu and these are: Mananga River in Talisay City, Cotcot River in Compostela, Guindarohan River in Minglanilla, Valladolid and Luwan-luwan Rivers in Carcar City, Butuanon River in Mandaue City, Lahug River and Guadalupe River in Cebu City, Cansaga River in Consolacion and the Mahiga Creek located in the boundaries of the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.
Based on the DENR-MGB 7 report to the OCD-7, which is now the chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC), a total of 92 municipalities in the region has been assessed which placed almost 4M population at risks in case of disasters in said areas.
Cebu has the highest number of population at risks in case of calamity with 1,494,696 people and 21 municipalities that underwent assessment for disaster risks followed by Negros Oriental with 1,231,904 populace and 25 towns assessed and lastly, Bohol with 1,180,436 people at risks but with the most number of towns assessed with 46, this is said.
The same report also contained that 1,960 barangays have been assessed by the DENR-MGB 7 in the whole region.
Sanchez said during heavy rains even in the absence of a storm, RDRRMC’s initial basic step is to conduct monitoring especially of high risk areas and the early warning phase consists of the regular issuances of weather bulletins or advisories from PAG-ASA which are disseminated to the members, local disaster coordinating councils, provincial and city police offices down to the municipal level, media and other communication groups.
In case of tropical storm warnings, the RDRRMC will immediately be activated under the Communications and Warning System during emergency, Sanchez said.
Another disaster preparedness measure is the feedback mechanism from the ground or incident site through the assistance of the Federation of Visayas Radio Clubs, media and the local PNP.
Monitoring and early warning and alert system are critical that form part of their basic disaster preparedness measure as the paradigm shift adopted by the government today is to focus on disaster risk mitigation and not on disaster response “because we cannot prevent bad weather conditions but we can only mitigate its effects by being prepared at all times,” according to Sanchez.
The Month of July is celebrated as National Disaster Consciousness Month. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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PNP-7 to expedite 32 pending cases against its members
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 29 (PIA) - The Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas has 32 pending administrative and criminal cases against policemen in the region as it tries to expedite the resolution of said cases per directive from the Philippine National Police (PNP) hierarchy.
S/Supt. Audie Villacin, the officer-in-charge of the Regional Investigation Detective Management Division of PRO-7 said 16 cases are under review while 10 cases are still under investigation. Three of the total cases are due for resolution and two cases have been exonerated, added Villacin.
PRO-7 Acting Chief of the Regional Internal Affairs Service S/Supt. Oriel Bragais on the other hand, said his office received a total of 21 cases from January to June, this year and that all cases except for one that has been resolved are still undergoing proceedings.
PNP Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo has directed all police regional offices and national support unit directors 30 days to resolve all remaining unresolved cases in the backlog.
From January to present, the PNP has dismissed 133 police personnel for various offenses in its continuing effort to weed the institution of misfits. All benefits due to the dismissed personnel were forfeited, this is said.
Apart from the dismissed personnel, there were 525 members of the police force that were meted with disciplinary sanctions for administrative offenses and involvement in irregularities, according to a statement from the PNP.
“Just as we are responsive to the morale and welfare needs of police personnel, and quick to give due recognition for exemplary performance of duty, the PNP is also swift and decisive in addressing issues on misconduct and breach of discipline,” Bacalzo emphasized.
Villacin said that as much as they want to fast track the resolution of cases, each case must undergo the proper process. “For admin cases alone, the maximum if one has to follow proper process takes 90 days.”
But Villacin said that they are trying their best to hasten the resolution of pending cases. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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PNP-7 ready to provide aid in times of disasters
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, June 29 (PIA) – As first-line responders in times of disasters, the police claimed they are more than ready and prepared to provide manpower augmentation basically to maintain peace and order and serve as the public “alarm system.”
Police Regional Office (PRO) -7 Deputy Regional Director for Administration C/Supt. Samuel Yordan in this morning’s ‘Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis’ (TSIP) Forum said the police and the military are always the ones to be called to help during disaster response because “we have the number.”
Though the police no longer sit as the chairman of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), the tasks more or less, remain the same, according to Yordan
Yordan said that maintenance of peace and order is needed “because when there are disasters, for certain, there will be a commotion and this we want to prevent.”
And when disasters strike in the wee hours of the morning, no government agency is open at that time while police stations are open for 24 hours which make them a viable tool to become the “alarm system,” Yordan said.
“The police stations are equipped with the adequate communication system and we are in constant coordination with the Barangay Peace Action Task Force. So any disaster in the area, our police could immediately relay the alarm to the appropriate agency for immediate proper action,” Yordan stressed.
The PRO-7 official however, said that even though they are always ready to provide manpower support in search and rescue efforts, but there is a need for policemen to undergo further capability training in such operations.
Neil Sanchez of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) -7 in the same forum, bared that their office has trainings in line for members of the police and the military but that their main focus now is not on search and rescue operations but rather on risk reduction.
Under the new law, the local government units are now authorized to spend 70 percent of their disaster-related funding on pre-disaster response while only 30 percent is allotted for the ‘quick response fund,’ Sanchez divulged.
Sanchez added that they have sea equipment capability and “we intend to let the different units involved in search and rescue operations including the police to familiarize with it.” (PIA 7-Cebu)