DAVAO CITY – Security forces in Davao City are now ready to implement the security plan for the Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) meet on February 17 to 23, according to Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) deputy head Angel Sumagaysay.
“We are now ready for the implementation of a detailed security plan for DAVRAA 2018,” he said.
Sumagaysay said part of the preparation is the intensive monitoring within the city by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and other units to ensure that no person who has bad intent can sneak inside the city during DAVRAA.
He said security measures will be tighter during this day following the discovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) near the Task Force Davao checkpoint in Lasang, Bunawan District on Thursday.
During the event proper, there will be random checkpoints and chokepoints in different areas of the city that will be conducted by DCPO and Task Force Davao.
Sumagaysay also discouraged spectators to bring backpacks inside the playing venues for security reasons.
“If you are just going to watch the event, please, do not bring your backpacks because it might impede our security in the area,” he said.
He said if there are people who are going to bring their backpacks, it might be deposited to the command posts that will be installed in different playing venues. But, Sumagaysay said there is no assurance that their things are secured because there will be no baggage counters.
He said command posts will be installed not as baggage counter but a help desk for the athletes and their delegations.
He assured there will be also police officers and personnel from CSU who will be deployed in the billeting areas to prevent looting incident inside the quarters.
As this developed, Sumagaysay urged the people to remain vigilant areas and to immediately report any suspicious people or things in their areas.
More than 5,000 security forces will be deployed coming from the Davao City Police Office, Task Force Davao, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, Tactical Operations Group and the Civil Security Unit (CSU).
Around 8,000 young athletes around the region will converge in the city for the annual sporting event which serves as the road to Palarong Pambansa. (Armando Fenequito fr./PNA)
