City Mayor Baba Yap and City PNP chief Police Superintendent Jovito Mati-ong Atanacio, mandated to maintain peace and order here, have started consolidating efforts to construct a modern police station in order to better serve the people of Tagbilaran. The existing city police station, housed at section of a dilapidated building known as the old city hall, has been publicly criticized for its limited space, unnoticeable location, collapsing building materials, and little parking space which for years have hampered the police in their daily operation. “It is high time that we build a modern police station in the city which can better serve our people,” Atanacio said in an interview. The city police station is perhaps one of the worst of its kind in the country as it does not conform to PNP national standards, said Atanacio. “Police stations in Bohol towns are a lot better in terms of infrastructure and location than the city PNP station,” lamented Atanacio.

Atanacio said that when he shared the city PNP's woes, the city mayor was upbeat with the plan to build a modern Tagbilaran police station. Eyed location for the new city PNP station is a lot near the city fire station and near the quake-damaged City Hall. “Mayor Baba has expressed his commitment to see this plan realized during the first term of his administration,” Atanacio said, adding that the project would be a big legacy of Mayor Yap and the PNP leadership. Funding for the proposed project, which will cost at least P14 million, is already available and ready for release from the regional PNP comptroller, the city police said. But there are mandatory requirements set by the regional PNP comptrollership division for the construction of the PNP standard building. In his February 11, 2014 letter to Mayor Yap, Atanacio has revealed the said requirements, and after compliance of such, bidding of the project will commence. Requirements include: City Council resolution authorizing the mayor to donate at least 1000 square meters for standard type of City Police Office and City Police Station building; Lot Subdivision Plan and Technical Description of lots donated duly certified by a licensed geodetic engineer; Certified true copy of the mother title on transfer certificate of title or any documents which will prove the ownership of donors;

Deed of absolute donation for chief of police signature, integrating therein the complete technical description of the lot to be donated; and Certificate/resolution for Sangguniang Panlalawigan stating that the subject City Resolution has been forwarded to the Provincial Board for review and that the same had no objection. Should the city government provide counterpart funds for the project, the requirements set by the regional PNP comptrollership division include: “City Council resolution appropriating the counterpart of funds of the city government signifying their willingness to transfer their counterpart funds to the PNP prior to the conduct of public bidding, which will also be included in the requirements for programming funds” and “certificate of availability of funds signed by the city treasurer and city mayor.” (MIKE ORTEGA LIGALIG)