Army, police chart security measures in NorMin

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Mar 3): Army, police chart security measures in NorMin

BOTH the military and police, including the local government unit of Misamis Oriental, have vowed to uphold the law to maintain the peace and security in the province and Cagayan de Oro.

The assurance was made should hostile forces attack the province and the rest of Northern Mindanao in light of the possible unrest once the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) doesn't get ratified by Congress.

In a Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Committee (JPSCC) meeting held at the provincial training center on Tuesday and presided by Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano, the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Northern Mindanao and the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said their forces are prepared to thwart possible attacks.

Emano, who chairs the JSPCC, said that convening the committee is to identify areas that would become possible entry points of ill-intent groups or people that would create havoc in the province and Cagayan de Oro City.

Emano said the JPSCC meeting came about when Lieutenant Colonel Jose Eriel Niembra, commanding officer of the 58th Infantry Battalion, a unit of the 4ID, met with him and suggested that a province-wide security plan be put in place.

He said if ever the BBL will not be passed and violence will escalate, government forces are ready for whatever eventuality that may arise in the future.

One of the measures taken up by the committee, Emano said, was identifying the entry and exit points of the province, including Macajalar Bay on the north, Magsaysay town on the east, Lugait on the west, and Bukidnon on the south.

Communities should help

Although the army and the PNP have their own intelligence networks, Emano said the people in the communities can help in monitoring and watching out for presence of suspicious-looking individuals in their localities.

Major General Oscar Lactao, commander of the 4ID, said the military has always been prepared for any security threats or attacks but cautioned “let’s not be alarmed by this. Let’s just wait for things to unfold.”

Lactao also said the military is always on guard against the enemies of the state and those who violate the law “where in fact, we are gaining grounds and have already diminished the number of the New People’s Army in our area of responsibility.

However, we still have to address the situation in a couple of areas in the eastern part of Misamis Oriental.”

“Acts of terrorism can happen anywhere and we are not discounting the possibility that it will occur in the province, and we are doing ways to deter violence. And if it should unfold, we will always be there to protect our people,” Lactao added.
         
But the military and police admitted that they have not received intelligence report of destabilization as a result of the non-passage of the BBL, both agreed they should always be vigilant.

“We will not allow any violence to get out of control,” Lactao said.

Sabotage peace and order

Representing PNP-Northern Mindanao Director Agrimero Cruz Jr., Senior Superintendent Aurelio Trampe Jr., deputy regional director for operations, said they have received reports that some elements are out to sabotage the peace and order situation in the region but these have not been confirmed yet.

Senior Superintendent Leonilo Cabug Jr., Misamis Oriental provincial police director, said the provincial police have set up precautionary measures, like the installation of checkpoints and the deploying of police marshals (law enforcers in plain clothes) in buses plying Misamis Oriental.

Three-layer security plan

For his part, Niembra said the 58IB has employed the concept of three-layer security plan to address any threats, among them intelligence gathering, visibility through checkpoints, and “target hardening” of vital installations.

He added his battalion has been sending troops to the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office from time to time as deterrent forces.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2015/03/03/army-police-chart-security-measures-normin-395395