By Sarwell Meniano/Philippine News Agency

PALO, Leyte – The Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here will use mobile closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) to boost security during big events in Eastern Visayas.
Brig. Gen. Ariel Arcinas, PNP Region 8 deputy director, said they just received four units of mobile CCTV from the national headquarters to help ensure peace and order during crowd-drawing activities.
For the first time, the PNP in the region will use these mobile CCTV to secure culminating fiesta-related activities in Ormoc City on June 28 and in Tacloban City on June 29.
“CCTVs like this have been used in the National Capital Region, but in Eastern Visayas, this is the first time for the PNP to use this technology. Mobile units are better than the fixed CCTV since the latter can only capture images in a certain place,” Arcinas said.
The CCTVs will transmit images to the mobile command posts, which will then send these images to either the city or provincial police offices or the regional headquarters.
Arcinas said this will enable the PNP to immediately address problems commonly encountered during the crowd-drawer events in the region such as local festivals and presidential visits.
Meanwhile, the PNP is stepping up its security preparation for the Piña Festival in Ormoc City and two festivals in Tacloban – the Pintados-Kasadyan and Sangyaw.
In Ormoc City, the local police will install border security control posts, the conduct of mobile patrol, and the prohibition on drinking in public, apprehension of persons with firearms and bladed weapons, and lectures on anti-terrorism.
Among the security preparations in Tacloban City is the conduct of simulation exercises on bomb explosion scenarios, camp defense drills, and simultaneous anti-criminality and law enforcement operations in different areas of the city.
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