The Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) in coordination with the counter-terrorism unit of Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), Task Force Davao, and Davao City Police Office (DCPO) conducted a simulation exercise (SIMEX) on building seizure and hostage rescue on December 2, 2020 at Venees Hotel along MacArthur Highway, Matina in Davao City.
The SIMEX is part of the operational readiness and training to further improve the city’s overall counter-terrorism strategy along with the Culture of Security.
“It’s just a routine security exercise for the security clusters of Davao City under the supervision of Public Safety and Security Command Center. We are just testing the security preparedness and inter-operability of security units/offices in Davao City,” said Retired Police Lt. Colonel Angel Sumagaysay, head of PSSCC.
All necessary precautions were done to ensure the success of the said activity. He said there was normal flow of the traffic since personnel of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) and 911 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were also involved in the said activity.
“We did it at dawn to use and test some of the equipment of the maneuvering units as well as the effectiveness of our communication system. This is one way to develop the camaraderie and unity of our responders,” Sumagaysay said.
The city government of Davao has been intensifying security preparedness and measures and involving Dabawenyos in various anti-terrorism experimental exercises to prevent acts of terrorism in the city.
This has been strengthened with the launch of Culture of Security Project, which is a people-centered campaign that encourages Dabawenyos to adapt vigilance as their way of life. The campaign “May Nakita? Dapat Magsalita!” is an order encouraging Dabawenyos to adapt the Culture of Security as part of their way of life.
Through the campaign, Dabawenyos are urged to volunteer themselves for inspection and help in the implementation of security measures in the city; report all suspicious persons and activities in their community; remind friends and family of all the security regulations within Davao City; and Participate in implementing the culture of security within their workplace, school, purok, subdivision and to be an active part of their community defense system.
The Culture of Security was conceptualized and launched by the city government of Davao and Task Force Davao (TFD) on July 1, 2020 to ensure that bombing incidents in Davao City will not happen again.
