Mayor Khymer Olaso on Monday, August 18, commended the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) for its efforts in fighting criminality, with the swift resolution of the two recent shooting incidents in Mampang and Culianan.

This, as police authorities, in collaboration with notable individuals and agencies have caused the peaceful surrender of suspects in the shooting incidents in Mampang last August 13 and in Culianan, Sunday, August 17.

In his message during the flag raising ceremony in City Hall Monday morning, Mayor Olaso condemned the shooting incidents, as he called on the police to further beef up anti-crime efforts. He said, though, it is a challenge to put a stop to crimes because of various factors such as the existence of illegal firearms and personal motives. “I can’t promise to put a stop to crimes but I will exhaust all means to minimize these incidents.”

During weekend, the chief executive personally monitored and followed through the progress of the shooting incident in Culianan to ensure that the case was resolved the soonest possible time.

Meanwhile, the mayor expressed elation on the results of a simulation exercise that he personally conducted last weekend to determine police response time during emergencies. “The different police sub-stations are capable of responding to emergencies within 3-5 minutes,” the mayor said.

He vowed to continue providing necessary support to the police in the form of transportation including communication facilities to further improve emergency response time. (Sheila Covarrubias) (photo credits: Kathy Wee Sit)