TASK Force Davao (TFD) elevated its security at checkpoints after a 90-year-old man was able to enter the city while carrying his firearms.
Senior citizens will no longer be exempted from security measures being undertaken at checkpoints.
Lieutenant Colonel Danny Bustamante of TFD said Wednesday, February 13, there might have been lapses on their part after a certain Bambaran Bantog, 90, a resident of Tamparan, Lanao del Norte, entered the city while carrying his firearms without being noticed by inspecting personnel at the checkpoint.
“When we talk about lapses, perhaps, a stricter inspection will be conducted to all by passers including the private vehicles. ‘Yong passengers ng bus pwedeng pababain ‘yong sa public conveyance natin so with that, ‘yong senior citizen nga, as I said gagawin natin na in a subtle manner na hindi naman siya ma-offend,” Bustamante said.
Bantog was arrested late afternoon on February 11 at the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (Osap) along Chavez St., Davao City after he was found to be in possession of a gun.
Bustamante said a border control and inspection facility in Barangay Lasang is already in the pipeline. This border will be equipped with modern facilities and state-of-the-art machine to effectively enforce security measures. There will be x-ray machines and walk-through scanners for the passengers who will be required to alight during inspection.
“As the order of Task Force Davao commander on the treatment of senior citizens, hindi naman sila pinapababa sa checkpoint kasi sabi natin they are just riding passenger bus parang napaka walang puso na pababain pa yon,” he said.
He added that they will just intensify frisking with the senior citizen’s consent.
Meanwhile, Bantog is now facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and election gun ban.