Tuesday, April 03, 2007 800 cops deployed for Holy Week rush By Carlo P. Mallo
OVER 800 policemen will be deployed by the Davao City Police Office during the observance of the Holy Week.
Senior Superintendent Jaime H. Morente, director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said they are prepared for the worst-case scenario that might happen during the solemn occasion.
Morente said the seaports, Davao International Airport, and Davao City Overland Transport Terminal are also being kept under close watch as these facilities remain to be prime targets of terror attacks.
He added that on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the DCPO will be highly visible in guarding the major churches in the city.
Aside from patrolling the churches and other places of worship, some of the police personnel will be deployed to control the flow of traffic.
Moreover, high police visibility would also be seen in the various tourist spots in the city. The DCPO expects the influx of tourists into the city for the long weekend.
Despite the absence of a verified terror threat to the city, Morente asserted that the DCPO has placed enough safeguards against any untoward incident.
In an earlier interview, Police Regional Office-Southern Mindanao Director Andres Caro III told Sun.Star Davao that the entire region has been placed on heightened alert until the end of the observance of the Holy Week.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Wendel Avisado said the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) management is working to have all amenities ready and available to the passengers especially later in the week when the biggest bulk of passengers are expected.
Gate 7 will be opened for passengers on connecting routes for their ultimate destination as this is near the unloading area.
"So that they will not have to go to Gate 1 where passengers are really supposed to enter, Gate 7 will be open for those coming from Gensan and will pass through Davao on their way to Cagayan de Oro, for instance. However, there will be only one exit, which will be at Gate 5," Avisado said.
Canopies from Gate 1 to Gate 7 as well as from Gate 7 to the terminal building are also being completed by the management to shield the travelers from the rain or heat during baggage checking or while waiting for departure.
The DCOTT Board is also set to meet to discuss the proposed tariff rates on all kinds of baggage that will be handled by DCOTT porters.
Avisado said the base fee for all baggage is five pesos but this will increase depending on the weight of the cargo. This is to ensure that the passengers will not be taken advantage of by porters who demand high fees as well as ensure that the porters are justly compensated for their work.
The DCOTT porters and personnel will be made to wear easily-readable identification cards so that passengers will be able to identify and report to them should there be violations of any kind. (With a report from GLP)
