A stricter inspection in all cemeteries in the Davao Region will be implemented during Oplan Kaluluwa, an operational plan hatched by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 during the observance of All Saint’s Day and All Souls Day, also known as “undas.”
According to Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, PRO 11 director, security inspection points will be positioned at the entrances of cemeteries. All bags and items brought into public cemeteries and memorial parks such as packed food, water bottles, canisters and even baby bottles will be inspected to ensure no prohibited items will be smuggled.
“To make this process faster we will divide the male and female inspection points to avoid traffic in the entry points. Rest assured police women will conduct the inspection for women and policemen will be in charge for the male inspections,” Morales said during the weekly AFP-PNP Southern Mindanao Press Corps press conference at the Royal Mandaya Hotel yesterday, Wednesday.
He assured the public the police officers will screen all items properly.
K9 sniffing dogs with their trained handlers will be in the area to prevent the entry of illegal drugs and improvised explosive device.
General Morales said there are 250 cemeteries in the region, more than 30 of them are in the city.
Items prohibited inside the cemeteries include knives or bladed weapons, gambling paraphernalia, loud speakers and liquors.
Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Sr. Supt. Alexander Tagum said DCPO operatives have already been deployed in cemeteries as early as Tuesday.
“We have deployed a complete package of personnel composed of police assistance desk, police security control point, intel-operative detectives who will be roving around to check people who will still violate our regulation and policy implemented by the city government of Davao City, because they might try to bring cards or liquor inside,”Tagum said.
He said there are also police officers in charge in perimeter security and there will be officers who will in-charge of traffic management especially in the areas affected by the re-routing scheme of the City Transport and Traffic Management office (CTTMO).
“This is to ensure that there will be no problems in all travel going to and going back to the cemeteries in Davao City,” Tagum added.
He said with the help of Task Force (TF) Davao and their force multipliers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Police Auxiliary and volunteers the usual security posts in the city will not be vacant in the entire duration of the Undas.
