The Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO) has received 114 additional police officers to bolster its presence and enhance tourism security in Puerto Princesa.
Among the newly arrived officers, 20 have been assigned to the Tourist Police Unit (TPU) with the specific responsibility of monitoring and ensuring the safety of the tourism destinations in Puerto Princesa.
Police Colonel Ronie Bacuel, the chief of the Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO), has emphasized his commitment to strengthening police visibility and enhancing security in Puerto Princesa.
To enhance police visibility, additional police personnel will be deployed to schools, malls, other critical installations, and tourist sites.
These additional officers have been sourced from the Police Regional Office (PRO) in MIMAROPA, he said.
“Kasi alam naman natin na ang ating lungsod ng Puerto Princesa ay isang tourism destination sa Palawan. So, we need to enhance also our Tourist Police Unit,” Bacuel pointed out as guest in the Amos Ta Ren sa Puerto Princesa online show on Friday, June 30.
In addition, he said that they are awaiting the construction of three new police stations in Puerto Princesa, which will not only augment police visibility but also contribute to crime prevention efforts.
“Kung maging lima na ang police stations, nakikita namin na yong impact ay, una, liliit yong police jurisdiction. Pagdating sa responding time, kung may mga kabarangay tayo na gustong humingi ng tulong, mas madali nang maka response ang pulis kasi malapit na sa kanila yong police station, lalo na sa far-flung barangays.
Under the leadership of Mayor Lucilo Bayron, the city government currently operates three mini city halls where they have temporary police stations, in addition to the existing Police Station 1 and Police Station 2.
Furthermore, he said the construction of the three additional police stations, namely Police Station 3, 4, and 5, is already underway.
Bacuel emphasized that the large jurisdiction covered by Police Station 1 and Police Station 2 often leads to delayed response times for certain incidents. He provided an example, stating, “Sample ko lang yong Police Station 1. Ang Police Station 1 ay nasa bayan sa Mendoza Park, pero ang jurisdiction niya hanggang Brgy. Langogan. Minsan may incident sa area na yon, matagal bago makarating ang responde.”
He said that with the establishment of new police stations soon, the nearest station will be responsible for prompt responses to incidents.
In order to enhance police presence and effectiveness, an extensive upskilling training initiative has been introduced to expand the range of services offered to the public.
Bacuel also expressed enthusiasm for the support of the Philippine National Police, which has planned to supply bicycles to reinforce the bike patrol unit in Puerto Princesa’s tourism destinations and sites.
As part of this initiative, the new police officers assigned to the TPU are undergoing training in collaboration with the City Tourism Office.
He explained that they specifically requested the help of the CTO for the 20 newly assigned officers in the TPU, as the majority of them are not originally from Puerto Princesa.
