Back-to-school: Police on alert starting Sunday

CEBU, Philippines -  Central Visayas will be placed under heightened alert status starting Sunday to ensure the security of students coming back to school on Monday.

Acting Police Regional Office-7 chief, Sr. Supt. Orlando Ualat, said the alert status is in line with the “Oplan Balik Eskwela” program of the Philippine National Police.

Ualat has directed all police offices in the region to maximize the deployment of its personnel. He also ordered the city and provincial directors to submit status report on major crimes committed within their respective areas of responsibility.

Supt. Alet Virtucio, deputy city director of the Cebu City Police Office, said that a team of personnel in civilian clothes will be deployed in key areas in the city.  He said that police personnel will be assigned to conduct foot patrol in crime prone areas.

Police officers will be deployed to help secure over 200 private and public elementary and high schools in the city.  In Mandaue City,  Sr. Supt. Petronilli Baldebrin, said the deployment of his personnel would be the same as that of his “Oplan Bantay Lakbay.” Although, he said 93 officers were added to help man the 38 schools in Mandaue City.

Sr. Supt. Erson Digal, chief of the Regional Operations and Planning Division, said all the necessary security preparations are being done. At least 31 personnel from the Regional Public Safety Battalion were deployed to the terminals and ports in the city to provide security.  Some of them will also serve as road safety marshals.

Ualat said PRO-7 is adopting a “Comprehensive Deployment System” to address the need of the region and to ensure the city and provincial directors are complying with it. Before the actual deployment, all police offices were directed to submit their deployment details to the headquarters which will be used by the supervisors in evaluating the deployment.

Supt. Rex Derilo of the Regional Intelligence Division said that street crimes will be monitored. Random checkpoints will be conducted aside from foot patrol. The police will also be tapping the help of force multipliers.

There are about 1,800 schools in the entire Cebu province, but the Cebu Provincial Police Office said it will focus only in 245 schools mostly located in the component cities and are considered crowded.

Most of the schools are located in the cities of Ta-lisay, Naga, Toledo, Carcar, Danao, and Bogo as well as in the metro areas like Minglanilla, San Fernando, Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela.

Supt. Ricky Delelis, chief of the Provincial Operations and Plans Division, said more than 300 personnel will be deployed.

Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 will soon be inspecting school bus services of private schools.

“We will be inspecting school buses in private schools inug abli sa klase,” said LTFRB-7 director Ahmed Cuizon.

Cuizon, however, said that unlike in the past three years, colorum school buses have decreased in number.

“Due to our intensified campaign, di na gyud ing-ana ka problema ang mga colorum nga mga school buses. Majority have already acquired a franchise,” Cuizon said.

Colorum school buses, if caught, will be impounded and will be fined P6,000 per violation. A franchise fee is less than P10,000 and valid for five years per unit.

During the inspection, Cuizon said, they have to make sure that school buses have fire extinguisher, first aid kit, the door should be situated either on the right side or at the back and windows should have grills.

“This is to ensure safety sa atong mga school children nga musakay. Kids are fragile, so dapat naa gyud na nga mga requirements,” Cuizon added.

Cuizon said school bus operators whose units have already reached the age-limit of 15 years are given until January 2015 to replace it in compliance with the LTFRB resolution number 2013-001.  (FREEMAN)