The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is ramping up security measures in schools following a mass shooting incident at a school in Tacloban City that claimed multiple lives.
Enhanced Deployment and Security Measures
Police Lieutenant Colonel Franco Rodulf Oriol, CCPO deputy city director for administration, said they have already implemented school security hardening measures by increasing the deployment of personnel to schools. Since the start of classes, police assigned to Police Assistance Desks (PADs) in schools have remained in place.
Security has been further strengthened by including personnel from the Mobile Patrol Unit, Tactical Motorcycle Riding Unit, barangay tanods, and the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO). The CCPO Intelligence Unit is tasked with conducting security assessments.
Preventing Weapon Entry and Community Engagement
The goal is to prevent the entry of weapons such as knives and other types of arms that could be used to commit crimes similar to the Tacloban incident. Oriol added that schools have been included in their Oplan Pakigsandurot program.
Station commanders are instructed to conduct dialogues and seminars for students, teachers, parents, school officials, barangay officials, and police. The aim is to educate all sectors to prevent similar incidents that claimed many lives in Tacloban.
