by pna
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants the Tourist Police Unit (TPU) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) to explain why they failed to stop a man from setting himself on fire in front of the Magellan’s Cross last Thursday.
Rama said he wanted to know if there were policemen deployed in the vicinity which is frequented by local and foreign tourists.
A police official said personnel are normally deployed in the area but there were none at the time when Exequiel Geneston, 77, set himself on fire.
Geneston was brought to the Cebu City Medical Center, where he may have to stay for weeks as he is still unconscious.
â€There should be a policeman patrolling the area. Sometimes I see a policeman, sometimes there is none, so I want to know if there was a policeman at that time,†Rama said.
If there was none, Rama said he would recommend for the transfer of the current TPU head. He would also ask CCPO Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe to justify such lapse.
â€Because I have never been remiss in reminding them (CCPO and TPU) that police personnel should be deployed in the area. There are many tourists there,†he said.
TPU Office-in-Charge Bernard Villarin said there were no police personnel deployed at Magellan’s Cross when Geneston poured gasoline on himself and lit a lighter around 7 a.m. last Thursday.
Villarin said the police personnel are only stationed around the area from 8 a.m. when local and foreign tourists usually arrive until 8 p.m. when the influx of tourists have subsided.
â€That time a policeman arrived, but by that time, it was too late,†he said.
Villarin said it was his police personnel who called and informed CCPO’s mobile patrol group (MPG) about the incident. The MPG then called the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation.
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