NCRPO to deal with bomb threats when classes start

MANILA, Philippines — The 29,000-strong National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is set to deal with bomb threats as part of security measures for tens of thousands of students during the opening of classes in Metro Manila on June 3, a police official said yesterday.

NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said his office has established protocols in dealing with bomb threats as he directed all explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) units to respond to any report of bomb threats in schools.

In the NCRPO’s protocols, a contact person or marshal in the school would answer the call and determine the place where the caller claimed to have put the bomb and cordon it, Eleazar said.

He added that an individual should report the incident to the nearest police station, while the EOD will conduct the search and if needed, disarm, control or detonate the explosive.

Eleazar said parents, teachers and students must keep calm during these situations, explaining that most bomb threats turned out to be hoaxes.

“They should not just panic as everything possible is being done to neutralize these threats,” he pointed out.

The NCRPO director also told the public to report any suspicious-looking items in the vicinity of the schools.

Eleazar added that school officials must immediately call the nearest police precinct for assistance.

At least 7,153 police officers and personnel will be deployed to ensure that no untoward incident would happen during the school opening, the NCRPO director said.

He said of these 2,074 will be deployed in police assistance desks, to maintain security and traffic discipline at the educational facilities.

Eleazar said the police officers would be augmented by beat and mobile policemen and 8,627 force multipliers from non-government organizations, local government units and other stakeholders.

“I would like to rally everyone to close in on the vicinities of these schools. We have to secure all our pupils and students from criminals, such as pickpockets and snatchers,” Eleazar said.

“We will be everywhere, especially our police detectives, who would secure students and other commuters inside buses and passenger jeepneys,” he added.

Last January, more than 20 people were killed in twin bombings at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu.