PRO-7 gets Crame backing for IEC security

CEBU, Philippines - The Police Regional Office-7 will secure participants of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress next month with equipment from its national headquarters.

Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, PRO-7 director, said some of the equipment may include patrol cars, motorcycle, EOD-K9 dogs, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, metal scanners and walkthrough scanners.

Personnel from Camp Crame came to Cebu to assess the region’s security preparation for the event. Today, no less than national police chief, Police Director General Ricardo Marquez, is expected to visit PRO-7 to personally brief personnel on the preparations for IEC.

Gaerlan said they not received any kind of threat as yet but this is no reason for the police to be complacent.

He said Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras will be installed in the second week of January, which is before the week of the Sinulog festivities. The IEC activities will take place the week after.  Gaerlan said the Office of the President and the Office of the Executive Secretary have already issued memoranda, respectively, for the budget for the PNP personnel who will be deployed for the event. The PNP is finalizing its list of personnel and resources.

“Siyempre, the mobilization, the accommodation, et cetera for augmentation personnel, it is still work in progress, but definitely, the maximum number of personnel from PRO-7 will be utilized,” Gaerlan said.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Nestor Bergonio from Camp Crame cautioned that strict security, which may include road closures or re-blocking, may inconvenience the public, but he hopes for understanding, considering that efforts are for everyone’s safety.

“Pag nakita na merong threat or pag mataas ang threat, then mataas ang security. Pag wala, lahat masaya,  walang traffic,” Bergonio said. – (FREEMAN)