The new batch of officials at the WPD are part of the more than 500 police inspectors deployed to Metro Manila’s five police districts after undergoing intensive training and seminars, according to National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Ricardo de Leon.
The new officials are all degree holders who underwent lateral entry into the PNP.
WPD director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong welcomed the newly recruited officials and asked for their "cooperation and dedication to duty" during a pep talk at headquarters.
"I want you to prove your worth. Be part of the solution in the growing problem of the PNP. Prove yourself as an officer," Bulaong exhorted the officials, even as he warned them that he will be the one to initiate their separation from service if they are found remiss in their duty.
Yesterday, De Leon also turned over 85 handheld radios, 20 bullet-proof vests and 20 Kevlar helmets to the WPD as a "means of effective crime solution efficiency."
De Leon said the additional radios acquired by the WPD will be a big boost to its dragnet operations.
The Manila police was erlier placed on heightened alert, and ordered to tighten security in vital installations and public places to prevent terrorist attacks.
As a precaution against the deadly car bombs, the entire length of United Nations Avenue in Ermita, where the WPD headquarters is situated is now a "no parking area."
The front and sides of the WPD headquarters are cordoned off to all kinds of vehicles. including those belonging to officers. But Bulaong assured the public that there was no cause for alarm, saying "all these preparations are being undertaken to ensure the safety of Metro Manilans."
At the same time, De Leon downplayed reports that members of the Abu Sayyaf are now holed up in several Muslim communities in Metro Manila and are planning to sow terror in the city.
"There are no confirmed reports about the presence of the Abu Sayyaf here in Metro Manila. But our policemen are constantly monitoring their known lairs and are capable of stopping them in case they wreak havoc in the metropolis," De Leon said.
WPD spokesman Chief Inspector Gerry Agunod said several police operatives have been dispatched to guard vital installations such as the Pandacan oil depot, LRT stations, malls as well as bridges. Additional checkpoints were also set up in choke-points in the city.
Agunod said the police have also tapped the assistance of security guards and barangay tanods in maintaining peace and order in the city. "The public is also advised to report any suspicious persons or vehicles in their areas," Agunod said. – Nestor Etolle