Province beefs up security measures

Governor Gwen Garcia and other provincial officials have announced that measures to secure the province and its vital installations from any violent incidents are already set to make the observance of the Holy Week peaceful.

The governor said that more policemen were detailed at the two bus terminals where heavy volume of passengers for the holidays is expected.

Starting today, the Cebu Provincial Police Office will sent police teams and K-9 dogs to the South Bus Terminal to conduct security checks on people going in and out of the area. Two more teams will be added tomorrow, Wednesday.

At the North Bus Terminal in Mandaue City, the CPPO coordinated with the city police and the bomb squad to enforce stringent inspection of passengers to and from the facility.

In Bantayan town, one of the vacation places for local and foreign tourists, Mayor Geralyn Escario-Cañares said her government had already put in place security measures.

Cañares said volunteer group, Lungsod Batok Salaod (Lubas), and locals have been tapped to augment the town policemen in securing the town. Medical teams have been put on standby also while information centers have been set up in strategic areas, she said.

The mayor further disclosed that additional bomb squads will be assigned to her town and in nearby Sta. Fe and San Remigio towns.

The governor added that similar tight security measures would be implemented in Hagnaya wharf, the jump off point to Bantayan Island.

At the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Garcia said security has been beefed up to prevent a recurrence of last year's Holy Week incident when some inmates were able to escape by walking past the guards unnoticed.