Such was emphasized by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco as he ordered his district directors and their station commanders to deploy more personnel to shopping centers and malls to effectively implement measures for the safety of Christmas shoppers around Metro Manila.
During a command conference held at the NCRPO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig, Velasco commended the NCRPO personnel for a job well done in implementing "Oplan Kaluluaw" for the long All Saints’ Day weekend, but pointed out that the real challenge is in sustaining the momentum of maintaining peace and order in the metropolis throughout the rest of the year.
He pointed out that street criminals are prone to be more active as the holidays draw nearer. "They tend to take advantage of the volume of people trooping to malls and this is what we aim to prevent in beefing up police visibility," he said.
"We cannot rest on our laurels after every operational success. We must deprive these criminals the opportunity to strike and always be prepared for any eventuality," he said.
The Metro police chief said that all security measures including those to prevent holdups on public utility vehicles through the deployment of bus detectives or Magic Eye volunteers, have been set. "The effectiveness of these measures lies on their strict implementation," he emphasized.
Likewise, he directed NCRPO personnel to sustain the conduct of target hardening drills. "This is a valuable lesson learned from the Rizal Day bombing. Terrorists always choose to attack when you least expect them to," he stressed.
He enjoined the public to help out in the over-all effort of the Metro Manila police by undertaking the necessary precautionary measures to avoid being victimized by street criminals as well as to immediately coordinate with the nearest police station or precinct once they fall prey to lawless elements.
He further urged the citizenry to cooperate with the mandatory frisking and baggage checks undertaken by the security personnel of shopping centers and malls. – Non Alquitran