The Davao City police has warned the public to brace for more stringent checkpoints and random Oplan Sita operations in view of the raising of Terror alert Level Three all over the country.
Davao City Police spokesperson Catherine dela Rey told Edge Davao the measure came in the wake of the arrest of persons of interests believed linked to the planting of an improvised explosive device (IED) near the United States Embassy in Manila.
Oplan Sita means random and unannounced searches on motorists.
“The city director [P/Supt Michael John Dubria] directed all station commanders and the police to be on alert and to maximize deployment of personnel for visibility and security purposes and to secure vital installations,” dela Rey said.
She added that there will be an intensified joint effort with the Task Force Davao in securing the city and that Dubria will be meeting with the Task Force Davao commander, Col. Erwin Bernard Neri, and will report to the Public Safety and Security Command Center head Benito de Leon.
Dela Rey added that the police will coordinate with all the stakeholders such as establishment owners and security providers to discuss on the needed security measures that they could do within their respective establishments.
“We are encouraging the community to be vigilant and security conscious and maximize the utilization of ‘Isumbong kang CD’ hotline [09258233276] in reporting criminal activities, suspicious looking persons roaming around and unattended/left behind baggages,” dela Rey said.
She, however, called on the public to remain calm, adding there is no cause for alarm despite the terror threats in the country.
In addition, the terror alert is only consistent with President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of state of lawlessness last September, following the Roxas Night Market blast that killed 14 people and injured 69 others.
Meanwhile, dela Rey explained that the police placed in Alert Level 3 in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) which places the PNP in full alert for terrorists who might commit similar acts of planting bombs in Metro Manila and the tragic incident that occurred in Davao City last September 2.
