Davao City Police Office chief Senior Supt. Michael John Dubria (davaotoday.com file photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — After maintaining a zero incident record during recent high profile events here such as the ASEAN Summit and the Miss Universe fashion show, city police chief Senior Supt. Michael John Dubria said he believes the DCPO is already an “expert” at maintaining peace and order.
“I believe that we are prepared. Especially that we just concluded the second leg of our ASEAN 50 summit. So our police and soldiers are already experts at securing delegates,” Dubria told reporters here Thursday after the annual meeting of the City Peace and Order Council.
This, despite the admitted challenges to the security of the city, including the lack of facilities and shortage of manpower.
In Dubria’s report to the council, he said there were still so-called “blind spots” of their radio communication coverage where communication could not be made. Some police stations were vulnerable to attacks, such as the station in Paquibato, known to be a stronghold of the New People’s Army, where its building is already an old structure.
Dubria said the police here was getting used to high alert status when President Rodrigo Duterte goes home to his house in the city every weekend.
“When the President comes home, the atmosphere of the city changes because we have to double our efforts, double the movement. We have to activate our resting police who are on reserve or on standby; they have to be on their toes. We conduct road and area security, escorts, everything,” Dubria said.
Dubria said the police would have another round of alert duties during the 80th Araw ng Dabaw celebrations, as it would be augmented also by soldiers, and the Task Force Davao and Joint Task Force Haribon.
Benito De Leon, head of the Public Safety and Security Command Center, said he was satisfied with the security coordination among the government agencies.
“I have seen the preparations both in manpower and in design. (It’s) very well planned. All the different activities lined up for the celebration have their appropriate security packages,” De Leon said. (davaotoday.com)
