Quezon police organizes community mobilization clusters

LUCENA CITY, Quezon -- Scores of cluster leaders from the city’s 33 barangays (villages) undertook their orientation program as organized community groups of the Calabarzon regional police’s initiative on Community Mobilization Program (CMP) in a bid to address criminality and lawlessness in their respective communities.

Lucena City chief of police Supt. Vicente S. Cabatingan, with the support from City Mayor Roderick A. Alcala, led cluster leaders at the CMP Orientation Program held Tuesday at the Pacific Mall Event Theater here.

 Alcala lauded city police efforts in organizing the orientation program for the village cluster leaders and expressed support to the police CMP’s anti-criminality initiative.

Chief Supt. Ma. O R. Aplasca, Police Regional Office 4-A (Calabarzon) Director, graced the occasion where he spoke before village and cluster leaders, city, barangay and Quezon police officials on his program initiative on the regional police Community Mobilization Program.

A brainchild of Aplasca, the concept of the Community Mobilization Program as a police-led anti-criminality and anti-lawlessness drive in the communities, is to bring back the sense of patriotism, nationalism and respect to authority as well as the genuine concept of family in the communities.

Aplasca reiterated that current peace and order situation prompted the regional police to re-assess strategies and shifted to more efforts and resources to crime prevention besides the police function on crime solution.

According to Aplasca, the CMP was designed with the goal to establish a strong and sustainable community defense system against all forms of criminality and lawlessness.

Under the program, constituents are organized into small pockets of communities of at least 10 households and these blocks and clusters will designate their own leaders who will steer the cluster meetings to educate members of the community on three areas.

The three areas are patriotism/nationalism; vigilance; and the correct concept of family. The cluster leaders are empowered to plan and submit their recommendation for action by the authorities, particularly the police.

Alcala and Quezon police provincial director Senior Supt. Rhoderick C. Armamento later presented the plaque of recognition and a simple memento to Aplasca during the program.

Alcala also presented the certificate of recognition to Cabatingan for his exemplary service and operational accomplishments with the arrest of 59 suspects since the latter’s installation as the new chief of police of Lucena City station last January 26.

Also gracing the occasion were City Councilor Vic Paulo, chair of the Council’s Peace and Order Committee; DILG City Director Engr. Danilo Nobleza; Supt. Elmar B. Sillador, acting chief of the Regional Police Community Relations Branch; Quezon PPO deputy provincial director for administration Supt. Jun Uriquia;

Supt. Von June Nuyda, chief of the Quezon police community relations branch; Chief Insp. Elena N. Eleazar, QPPO public information office chief; City Anti-Drug Abuse Council chief Francia Malabanan, city police officials and the religious sector/pastor coaches. (Gideon Belen/PNA)