SUPPORT TO PNP. Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas assures support for the Iloilo City Police Office. At a press conference on Monday (Nov 13, 2023), he said the proposed PHP20 million confidential fund of his office for 2024 is primarily for support to police operations. (PNA photo by PGLena)
ILOILO CITY – The PHP20 million proposed confidential fund for the office of Mayor Jerry Treñas in 2024 is primarily to support the anti-criminality efforts of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
Treñas said the fund would be spent for various operations and other needs of the ICPO, including its Social Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
Last month, the SWAT team lost one of its officers during an anti-drug bust.
“Our confidential fund is primarily for our police, like their operations, rewards,” he said at a press conference on Monday.
The city government, he said, is alarmed by the recent confiscation of a high volume of drugs, including the PHP20.4 million worth of suspected shabu seized in Barangay Camalig on Nov. 10 and the PHP7.8 million confiscated on Oct. 29 in Barangay Concepcion, where the SWAT member was killed.
“I am alarmed because of the huge volume. At the same time, I am relieved because that could have been on the streets,” he said, adding that the city didn’t have confiscation of such magnitude before.
The mayor also expressed the readiness of the city government to help equip the ICPO in responding to cybercrimes following the apprehension of a group of 17 Chinese nationals operating a cybersex den in Barangay Balantang on Nov. 4.
“If they still have needs, we are ready. I was concerned that for the first time, this had happened. My instruction is we need to have dedicated checkpoints in every district,” he said.
He added that the city government will coordinate with the National Bureau of Investigation, which has the expertise in cybercrimes. (PNA)
