By Lilian Mellejor/PNA
DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte has ordered the “no backpack policy” inside churches and other places of worship here in the wake of the twin blasts that hit a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu, on Sunday.
“The city mayor has instructed us that churchgoers should no longer bring backpacks in going inside their places of worship for security reasons,” said Benito de Leon, Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) head.
De Leon said churchgoers are advised to bring small handbags or purses to enable security forces to monitor suspicious activities more efficiently.
“In that manner, we could avoid an incident, wherein some malicious individuals could put in explosive devices in backpacks, the same scheme that happened in Jolo,” de Leon added.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances wherein churchgoers would bring big bags, the PSSCC is asking the public to cooperate and submit their possessions for inspection.
De Leon said local authorities have already coordinated with the parishes in Davao to include this call in their announcements.
Davao City will deploy joint forces of the Davao City Police Office, Task Force Davao, and the Davao police auxiliaries to man the inspection in local church premises.
