Police on full alert

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine National Police and other stakeholders are already on full alert to secure Cebu Province as it joins the rest of the country in the observance of Holy Week.

Cebu South Bus Terminal management and security officials have begun to tighten security and improved accommodation of the passengers as the terminal is set to receive an influx of people going to their provinces.

Provincial Chief Security Officer Loy Madrigal said, "Okay ra kaayo ang sitwasyon nato diri…I think kontrolado ra. Duna na gyud ta'y giplano nga special operation sa paghan-ay ug pagpasakay nato sa mga pasahero ug manguli-ay."

The team has heightened its preparations to produce an organized flow of passengers going in and out of the terminal.

From the terminal's entrance, the passengers will line up for security inspection. They also have put up some signage for the passengers to be informed as to where they are going.

Additional security, such as additional PNP force and K-9 unit, had been deployed in different terminal areas and checkpoints in various points of Cebu to ensure passenger safety.

They have also put up closed-circuit television cameras to monitor the areas, and distributed flyers with hotline numbers for the passengers to contact authorities.

Jolito Flores, spokesperson  of the Cebu Bus Operator and president of the Minibus Association in Cebu, said they have 360 buses available for transportation,  but just in case those would not accommodate the passengers, they are willing to provide additional buses.

Port security

Heightened security operations will be expected to last until Friday night or Saturday morning, according to officials.

At the port area yesterday, Chief Inspector Felix Quiazon said, "So far, wala'y reklamo as to how secured the area is dinhi sa (Pier 1), except siguro kung naay mabilin ang pasahero sa taxi pero, for cases like kawat-kawat, so far wala."

For Division Manager Engr. Ernesto Boltron Jr., all of the passengers according to him are secured.

He explained they have deployed security officers in assisting the passengers from the entrance until inside the port.

All systems go

Senior Superintendent Orlando Ualat, deputy regional director for administration, described PNP as a hundred percent ready for the long vacation and summer, assuring public security in their trip outbound and inbound Cebu.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office had the send off ceremony yesterday at the compound with 167 personnel including the area supervisors deployed to Bantayan Island, Minglanilla town and Cebu South Bus Terminal.

Security in Bantayan

Meanwhile, a seven-man team from the Theft and Robbery Section was deployed to Bantayan Island yesterday morning to augment the police force and secure the area during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. - Ria Mae Y. Booc, Bryner L. Diaz, Keizen Danica S. Arnado, CNU Comm Intern, Joeylen de la Cruz, NORSU MassCom Intern/JMD

Senior Inspector Enrique Belciña, chief of the Police Community Relations, said the team was headed by the former chief of the TRS and now the chief of the Homicide Section, Sr. Insp. Elisandro Quijano.

The team will help solve crimes, like pick-pocketing, theft and robbery due to the drastic influx of local and foreign tourists during the Holy Week in Bantayan.

To prevent all these, the Provincial Director of the Cebu Provincial Police Office Sr. Supt. Noel Gillamac, through the office of the Provincial Governor, requested Sr. Supt. Noli Romana to augment some of the TRS personnel to said northern island.

The team is expected to return Easter Sunday. - Ria Mae Y. Booc, Bryner L. Diaz, Keizen Danica S. Arnado, Joeylen de la Cruz (FREEMAN)