THE Regional Peace and Order Council in Western Visayas (RPOC 6) is considering a multi-layered security strategy aimed at protecting schools from violence and shooting incidents.
The proposal was among the measures discussed during the council’s third-quarter meeting on Sept. 21, 2026, at Hotel Del Rio in Iloilo City, where officials also reviewed the region’s anti-insurgency, law enforcement and anti-drug efforts.
Maj. Gen. Joey Escanillas, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division and vice chairperson of RPOC 6, presided over the meeting on behalf of council chairperson and Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
“Sustaining peace and security is a shared duty of all government agencies and communities. Let us transform our plans into decisive actions that will ensure lasting peace, protect our people, and sustain development in Western Visayas,” Escanillas said.
Among the measures presented was a proposal to create a technical working group tasked with developing a comprehensive, multi-layered strategy to protect public and private schools from violence and shooting incidents.
The proposed strategy seeks to improve coordination among government agencies and strengthen preventive measures to protect students, teachers and other school personnel.
During the meeting, the 3rd Infantry Division also presented its accomplishments in maintaining peace and conducting anti-insurgency operations across Western Visayas.
The Police Regional Office 6 presented updates on its peace and order and law enforcement efforts, while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported on the region’s drug situation.
Other public safety and security concerns affecting Western Visayas were also discussed.
Regional heads and representatives of RPOC 6 member agencies attended the meeting as government agencies continued coordinating efforts on peace and order, security and law enforcement concerns in the region. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)