Davao City—The Philippine National Police will deploy 300 members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion to the Davao City Police Office as part of the security augmentation for the Kadayawan Festival next week.
“We have already conducted a series of meetings and preparations together with the local government unit of Davao City, particularly the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC), and we are contributing even at the regional level,” said PNP Regional 11 director Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan.
“I have committed to the Davao City Police Office at least 300 additional warm bodies to augment in securing Kadayawan activities,” Gaerlan added.
Aside from the deployment of additional forces, Gaerlan said there is also close coordination with the regional intelligence center for exchange of information that would enhance security preparations.
“I hope this will be an incident-free Kadayawan that will be enjoyed not only by the people of Davao but also our guests,” he said.
“But you know the most important is the participation of the public. If you observe suspicious looking things in your area, in business establishment that they might have check in, they must report. They (terrorists) make use of small inns,” Gaerlan added.
PSSCC head Benito De Leon said 15,000 security forces from the Davao City police office, Task force Davao, volunteer police auxiliary, other law enforcement agencies and force multipliers will be deployed in the city.
The increase in security forces for the Kadayawan came on the heels of an explosion in Basilan last week that killed 11 people.