By Jennifer P. Rendon
After more than a decade, the plan to have more police stations in Iloilo City is no longer a dream.
Colonel Joeresty Coronica of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) confirmed that four more police stations will be officially activated tentatively by June 20.
The activation date will depend on the availability of PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil, who is expected to grace the event.
Currently, ICPO has six police stations. Iloilo City Police Station (ICPS) 1 is co-located at the ICPO headquarters on Gen. Luna St., City Proper district; ICPS 2 is at La Paz district; ICPS 3 is at Jaro; ICPS 4 is at Molo; ICPS 5 is at Mandurriao; and ICPS 6 is at Arevalo district.
Coronica said the new ICPS 7 will cover portions of the City Proper district and will be located at the I-Care Center at Barangay Tanza-Esperanza.
ICPS 8 will temporarily be housed at the Gaisano ICC until its transfer to the I-Care Center at the Iloilo Business Park which is still under construction.
ICPS 9 will cover the Lapuz district and will be located at the Bo. Obrero barangay hall.
On the other hand, ICPS 10 will be headquartered at the Uswag Youth Center at Brgy. M. H. del Pilar, Jaro.
Notably, none of the current six police stations of ICPO occupy a standard type B building for PNP stations.
Citing service efficiency and the growing population, the ICPO earlier stated it would proceed with the plan to add four more stations.
Coronica said their present personnel complement is sufficient for 10 police stations. Last month, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 deployed 132 more policemen to ICPO.
A city police station should be manned by around 80 personnel. The activation of four more police stations came in the wake of other considerations, such as additional funding for the station’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).
However, Coronica emphasized the need to add more police stations given the current situation, as Iloilo City’s population is a little less than 500,000, while its daytime population could be double that number.
