By CESAR JOLITO III

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is currently conducting inspections on 19 flood control projects in the city following a directive from higher authorities to verify their actual status and implementation.

BCPO Director Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica confirmed that the inspections stem from a memorandum issued by the Department of Public Works and Highways to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, mandating the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to carry out physical validations of infrastructure projects within their jurisdictions.

Under the guidelines, inspecting teams are required to identify the exact locations of the projects, take photos to confirm whether they have been completed, note any visible defects, verify if works are still ongoing despite being marked as “completed,” and check for possible “ghost projects.”

Coronica said the BCPO has tasked each police station in Bacolod to visit the projects within their areas of responsibility and submit detailed reports to the regional office and Camp Crame.

“As of now, no police station has yet submitted their assessment reports,” Coronica disclosed in an interview./CJ, WDJ