INSPECTION of passengers passing through the Sirawan, Toril is much faster now after a brand new metal detector and x-ray scanners have been installed.

Task Force Davao (TFD) commander Colonel Consolito Yecla said Monday morning, April 22, that the high-end security equipment was established at the Sirawan checkpoint last Thursday, April 18, as part of their security measure for the Holy Week in anticipation of the influx of passengers who will be going to the city.

“At least, it helped us in the conduct of checkpoint, ‘yong processing natin ng mga passenger ng bus. We reduced it from seven to four minutes per bus ‘yong bilis ng ating pag-inspect ng mga gamit at tsaka tao sa checkpoint na yon,” Yecla said.

They only piloted the installation of this new equipment as experiment so that they can address whatever issues that need to be solved before installing it to other checkpoints in Lasang and Calinan.

One of the problems they have seen during the four days when it was operational was the size of the facility where the equipment was housed. Since the equipment was placed inside a 20-footer container van where the people will also pass through, they had observed it was just too narrow.

“Medyo masikip so kailangan natin ng mas malaki, that’s why we will be coordinating with the Office of the City Mayor kung pwede they will provide ‘yong mas malaking facility para sa metal scanner nato and metal detectors,” Yecla added.

He said the supplier of the machine where it was procured did not provide a template on how to install these for outdoor use.

Contrary to an online post telling of a long queue when the security equipment was installed, Yecla denied the new equipment was the reason for it.

He said the equipment, in fact, lessened the inspection time. But Yecla said the post was just taken during peak season where a lot of passengers were passing through the Sirawan checkpoint.

“Nagkataon lang na noong peak hours niya talagang mataas but we will devise, halimbawa during the rush hours, ‘yong mga walang bags, katong walay mga backpacks, pwede na mu-bypass sa detectors at scanners,” he said.

Only bus passengers will pass through security equipment while plain viewing will still be undertaken for private vehicles and manual inspection for the vans.

He said they will also ask van passengers to undergo new technology inspection if it is not rush hour, or there are fewer people passing through the facility.