TASK Force Davao (TFD) will continue to implement stringent security measures at different entry points to Davao City to prevent any terrorist attack following the deadly blast in Cotabato City on New Year's Eve.
Two persons were killed and dozens injured after an explosion ripped through the firecracker stalls in front of the South Seas Mall on Don Rufino Alonzo Street in Cotabato City at 1:59 p.m., December 31, 2018.
“Ever since, we’ve been very strict sa ating mga checkpoints at even though wala pong nangyayari sa labas ganyan na ang ating checkpoint complemented by random checkpoints sa mga areas of activities ng ating Pasko Fiesta,” Colonel Randolph Cabangbang, deputy commander of TFD, said.
All the events here were carried out without untoward incidents, even the Torotot Festival.
“Ito po ay maipapasalamat din natin sa deployment ng PNP (Philippine National Police) at yon pong ibinigay na karagdagang tao ng region and ng 10th ID (Infantry Division),” he said, adding also other stakeholders who have been instrumental in ensuring the peace and order in Davao City during the Yuletide season.
He said, “We were overwhelmed by the security kaya one of the things that we should be very thankful about is the cooperation of everybody.”
For his part, Police Regional Office Davao (PRO-11) Regional Director Marcelo Morales recommended another security officer summit to further strengthen measures in highly-populated areas such as malls, hotels, and tourist destinations, among others.
“Ang premises kasi ng mall is still the property of mall owners at sila yong nag fo-formulate ng kanilang security policies doon. So ang kanilang frontliners outside the mall are still mga security guards and yong kanilang mga in-house security,” he said.
Thus, he suggested to the mall owners to enhance their security measures and properly check suspicious and unattended baggage to prevent similar incident. Though they could augment police personnel but the primary responsibility would still be on the mall’s management.
Morales said they are eyeing to conduct a security officers’ summit for the malls to discuss what happened in Cotbato City in a bid to improve