Metro cops to secure schools, students

Heavily armed policemen will be deployed today along Chinese schools in Manila to guard against kidnappers and other criminal elements as the new school year opens.

The deployment is part of Manila police’s "Oplan Balik-Aral" as 1.7 million elementary students nationwide troop back to school.

But Manila police spokesman Chief Inspector Gerry Agunod said that all other schools in the city would have police deployments although extra security would be provided to Chinese schools, particularly in the Chinese community areas in Binondo and parts of Tondo, due to the constant threat of kidnappings directed at wealthy Chinese families.

The Manila police said that undercover policemen would also be fielded aside from members of the Special Weapons and Tactics teams in "full battle gear."

Agunod said they would be on the lookout for vehicles with suspicious license plates as well as men riding in tandem in motorcycles, which in the past has been the common modus operandi of robbers.

It is during the normally chaotic first day of school that criminal elements like robbers and pickpockets abound. Police are also on the alert for possible terrorist attacks.

Top officials of the Manila police met last Thursday with city school officials to map out security preparations and everything was reportedly in order for today’s event.

Next Monday, 1.4 million high school students are also expected to return to school.

Meanwhile, police have also included foreign students in its security plan for Metro Manila’s major colleges and universities to ensure the safety of college students during the opening of classes, which will start this week.

"We have committed at least 800 police personnel for deployment in the schools. We have expanded the coverage to the dormitories of foreign students to ensure their safety," said National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Ricardo de Leon.

De Leon said the measure is part of the preparations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the opening of classes in government and private schools.

De Leon’s directive came a day after Director Avelino Razon, PNP operations chief, ordered all 17 PNP regional commands to enforce a heigthened alert in their areas of jurisdiction.

He also allayed the public’s fears on the reported presence of Abu Sayyaf bombers in the metropolis from Mindanao. He said reports have yet to be validated.

To deter any move that will disrupt peace and order in Metro Manila during the opening of classes, De Leon said the NCRPO has intensified checkpoints and chokepoints in strategic areas. The local police unit has also coordinated with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) National Capital Region Command under Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza for additional security measures.

Security has been tightened in seaports, airports and piers to deter any group from sowing terrorism in the country’s capital. Members of the different barangays and the Muslim communities were also tapped to help the PNP in its peace and order campaign for the opening of classes today in a number of schools nationwide.

National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTF) chief and former defense Sec. Angelo Reyes has also alerted its personnel for kidnapping activities. Reyes acknowledged that kidnappers usually prey on students in private schools from affluent families, especially Filipino-Chinese students.

Reyes assured that concerned government agencies are not lowering their guard against kidnap gangs and other crime syndicates.