By Jennifer P. Rendon
Philippine National Police chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil will lead the formal activation of four additional police stations in the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) today, July 2.
The activation was initially scheduled for June 20 but was postponed due to Marbil’s unavailability.
Colonel Joeresty Coronica, ICPO chief, had earlier appointed four police officers to lead the new units.
Captain Joebert Amado will head Iloilo City Police Station 7 (ICPS7), Captain Lester Oliveros will lead ICPS8, Captain Jeffrey Delgado will be in charge of ICPS9, and Captain Nonito Venteroso will manage ICPS10.
Amado and Oliveros previously served as chiefs of police in other ICPO stations.
ICPS7, located at the I-Care Center in Barangay Tanza-Esperanza, will cover 24 barangays, including Inday, San Felix, Villa Anita, Mabolo-Delgado, Tanza Timawa 1, Tanza Timawa 2, Malipayon-Delgado, Delgado-Jalandoni-Bagumbayan, Tanza-Esperanza, Hipodromo, Liberation, Kahirupan, Gloria, San Jose (City Proper), Roxas Village, Flores, Osmeña, Baybay-Tanza, Bonifacio-Tanza, Rizal-Estanzuela, Rizal Pala-Pala 1, Rizal Pala-Pala 2, Rima-Rizal, and Jalandoni-Wilson.
These areas have a registered population of around 26,835.
ICPS8 will temporarily operate from the Bo. Obrero Barangay Hall in Lapuz district, covering Alalasan, Don Esteban, Jalandoni Estate, Lapuz Norte, Lapuz Sur, Libertad, Loboc, Mansaya, Obrero, Progreso, Punong, and Sinikway (Bangkerohan), with a registered population of 30,384.
ICPS9 is located at the Uswag Youth Center in Jaro district and will serve 29 barangays, including Arguelles, Benedicto, Calubihan, El 98 Castilla, Cuartero, Democracia, Desamparados, Dungo-A, Fajardo, Javellana, Libertad, Santa Isabel, Lopez-Jaena, Luna, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Maria Cristina, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Montinola, San Jose (Jaro), San Pedro (Jaro), San Roque, San Vicente, Seminario (Burgos-Jalandoni), Simon Ledesma, Tabuc Suba (Jaro), Taytay Zone 2, Balibago, Bitoon, and Cubay.
The registered population of this area is 60,519.
ICPS10 is temporarily located at the ICARE Center in Gaisano ICC in Mandurriao district and will cover barangays Airport (Tabucan Airport), Bakhaw, Bolilao, Buhang Taft North, Navais, San Rafael, and Tabucan, with a population of 25,917. The station will move once the I-Care Center at Iloilo Business Park is completed.
Currently, ICPO has six police stations: ICPS1 at the ICPO headquarters on Gen. Luna St., City Proper district; ICPS2 in La Paz district; ICPS3 in Jaro; ICPS4 in Molo; ICPS5 in Mandurriao; and ICPS6 in Arevalo district. None of the current stations occupy a standard Type B building.
Citing service efficiency and population growth, the ICPO had pushed to add four more stations. Coronica said their current personnel complement is sufficient for 10 police stations.
Last month, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 deployed 131 more policemen to ICPO. PRO-6 recently assigned 18 additional policemen. A city police station should be manned by around 80 personnel.
The activation of four more police stations also considers additional funding for station Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).
Coronica emphasized the need for more stations given Iloilo City’s population of nearly 500,000, which doubles during the daytime.
