SRP Development is Tom's Priority, Not Police Office (June 2006)

The Freeman 06/17/2006

The proposal to construct a new Cebu City Police Office building has to take a back seat, at least for now, as Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday said he would rather give more importance now to the development of the South Reclamation Project to make it more feasible to investors. 

Osmeña, in his regular press conference yesterday, said the city is now under strong pressure to put in priority the completion of the SRP development considering that three companies, both local and foreign, have conveyed their interests to invest in the area. 

"We can't fight two wars at the same time. We might lose both of them instead," the mayor said, as he explained that the police building proposal should be set aside in favor of the SRP development. "Anyway the police department is always there," he said. 

Osmeña yesterday led reporters to a tour of the SRP's Pond F where he planned to put up white sand beaches and build a boardwalk along the 1.4-kilometer stretch. 

The mayor also said he would beautify Kawit Island within two months and complete soon the senior citizens' building there. 

There has been pressure however over the need to build a new police building inside Camp Sotero Cabahug after police officials informed Police Regional Office-7 that the present buildings of the City Police headquarters are already in dilapidated condition. 

But Osmeña was not obviously bowing to it as he even expressed disappointment instead over the seeming refusal of the Philippine National Police to promote acting City Police director, Supt. Melvin Gayotin, to the rank of senior superintendent. 

This has been "one reason why I'm reluctant to make big commitment because I have lingering doubts over the PNP hierarchy," said Osmeña, adding that the PNP should not force him to choose somebody to replace Gayotin otherwise he would no longer support the CCPO building project. 

Osmeña said the construction of a new building might be realized however "within a couple of years" from now but not this year. He said he would back instead the continuing training of policemen and the purchase of more firearms. 

Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division-7 chief Augusto Marquez said the proposal to construct a new City Police building was discussed already in the past, specifically during the second term of Osmeña and the incumbency of City Police director, Antonio Enteria. 

The proposed budget for the building at the time was P25-million but the project was shelved when Enteria was transferred to another assignment and Osmeña eschewed reelection to give way to Alvin Garcia. - Garry B. Lao