Police met yesterday with security managers of malls, schools and hotels to come up with security plans amid the threats of bombing in Metro Manila.
Senior Supt. Jose Mario Espino, acting head of the Philippine National Police-Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies (PNP-SOSIA), said the meeting is aimed at ensuring the cooperation of the security managers in ensuring the safety of the people who go to their establishments amid the spate of bomb threat pranks and even threats of bomb attack on places of convergences.
“We briefed them about the current situation and what they could do to help us in these pressing problems regarding bomb threats and bomb scares,” said Espino.
One of the measures discussed, according to Espino, is carrying out proper frisking and checking of bags and other things that being brought inside malls and other establishments where people usually converge.
Also, Espino said the discussion focused on the measures that security managers should and should not do when confronted with bomb scares or actual bomb attack.
A series of bomb scares gripped Metro Manila and other areas across the country after the bomb attack in Davao City last week that left 14 people dead and more than 70 others injured.
Police intelligence reports also cited four women who were sent by a Basilan-based Abu Sayyaf commander to carry out bomb attacks in Metro Manila, and if there is an opportunity, assassination attempt on President Duterte using improvised explosive device.
“We are being deluged by bomb scares and bomb threats and we cannot take this lightly. That’s why we are having this coordinating conference and seminar training to raise the level of awareness of our security guards securing private establishments,” said Espino.
In the meeting, the PNP also sought for additional security features in the entrances and inside the malls and other private establishments such as presence of bomb-sniffing dogs.
Espino said they have been pushing for other private establishments to replicate the best practices being employed by malls and hotels’ security managers such as modern security screen walk-through aside from the presence of bomb-sniffing dogs. (AARON RECUENCO)