By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Tuesday led the inspection of several schools and universities in Metro Manila as part of measures to secure the opening of classes on June 3.
During the inspection at the University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Ramon Magsaysay High School and Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School in Manila, Eleazar talked to the school officials and other security personnel to ensure readiness and alertness of police and security personnel deployed in the area to secure students.
Eleazar also coordinated with the teachers of these schools regarding the safety, peace and order inside and outside the vicinity of schools.
Eleazar said a total of 7,153 policemen will be deployed in various schools in the Metro Manila, of which over 2,000 cops will man police assistance desks.
“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 told the Philippine News Agency.
Eleazar said police marshals will also be deployed to secure passengers of buses, UV Express, taxis, and jeepneys.
“We will be everywhere, especially our police detectives, who would secure students and other commuters inside buses, and passenger jeepneys,” Eleazar said.
“All police personnel assigned in public assistance desks should coordinate with the Department of Education school authorities and local government officials,” he added.
Eleazar said they have also instituted a protocol on how to deal with bomb threats which is part of the security preparation for the opening of school year 2019-2020.
He said the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units were tapped for the possible bomb calls and threats in schools considering that in the past, classes have been disrupted due to bomb threats which turned out to be a hoax.
Eleazar said the protocol includes having a point person who will answer the bomb threat call and determine the place where the caller claimed to have put the bomb.
He said the place should immediately be vacated and cordoned off while it is being reported to the police.
He however urged the public, particularly the students and the school stakeholders, to keep calm during such situations.
Eleazar said in cases of suspicious-looking items randomly left behind, the first step is to determine whether the item is accidentally left by someone and if not, it should be immediately reported to the police.
“They should not panic as everything possible is being done to neutralize these threats,” Eleazar said.
For the latest updates about this story, visit the Philippine News Agency website
