The Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 covered the Davao Region has intensified security measures and intelligence monitoring following the Cotabato City mall blast on December 31 that left two people dead and 30 others injured.
PRO 11 director Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales said all police units in the region are now ordered to establish and strengthen checkpoints in the cities and municipalities.
Morales said there will be an additional number of foot and mobile patrols deployed particularly in highly populated areas.
He said all chiefs of police need to coordinate with private security providers and security managers to establish and enhance joint security protocols, and to intensify intelligence monitoring and sharing of information with other units.
“We will surely help in providing whatever information we have to Cotabato police, being an adjacent city, for fast identifications of the perpetrators of this inhumane act,” he said.
The region’s top cop said there will be a duty police official who will make rounds to all of their police assistance desks deployed in the places of convergence such as malls, churches, transport terminals, airport and seaport to ensure all security measures are properly implemented.
Morales said he ordered all police personnel to thoroughly check bags carried by people so that the incident in Cotabato City will be prevented in Davao.
“We call on our people to be vigilant and continue their active cooperation with security forces in reporting their observations and by notifying nearest local police stations, or thru PRO 11 Hotline numbers and social media pages for any suspicious people or activities happening in the locality,” he said.
“Let us unite and continue our fight against violent extremism for the good of us all,” Morales added.
Meanwhile, Morales condemned the act of violence and terror since this was not only an affront to the peace and order situation in the country, but more importantly, it is an affront to the sacrosanct value of human life.
“The perpetrators will be held legally accountable and we will not allow them to erode the newfound optimism of the people on peace and order,” he said.
