Eastmincom on red alert after magnitude 7.4 quake, Marawi bombing

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 4, 2023): Eastmincom on red alert after magnitude 7.4 quake, Marawi bombing (By Alexander Lopez)

ON ALERT. Troops from Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) who are part of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response teams are immediately deployed Saturday night (Dec. 2, 2023) to assist in disaster response following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Mindanao, particularly Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental. Eastmincom also announced on Monday (Dec. 4) that it is on red alert status after the strong tremor and the deadly Marawi bombing on Sunday (Dec. 3). (Photo courtesy of Eastmincom)

BUTUAN CITY – The Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) is on red alert following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that hit Caraga Region and the deadly explosion in Marawi City.

In a statement Monday afternoon, Eastmincom said intensified checkpoint operations are being conducted in its areas of responsibility, including bus boarding operations, foot and water patrols, and enhanced troop visibility in crowded areas.

In Davao City, the command said heightened security operations are being conducted in coordination with the Davao City Police Office.

Intensified intelligence monitoring and security operations are also in place through a systematized and coordinated security scheme among cognizant units, especially in places of convergence, to ensure public safety during the holiday season.

Disaster response

In the Caraga Region, particularly in Surigao del Sur, Eastmincom said it has already deployed a total of 30 Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) teams to assist the local government units affected by the recent strong earthquake.

The teams were deployed in the town of Hinatuan and other coastal areas in Surigao del Sur and parts of Davao Oriental since Dec. 2.

“The troops promptly conducted mobile security patrol, transportation assistance, monitoring, and ocular inspection for any infrastructure damages, and other humanitarian assistance activities in collaboration with the local government units and relevant agencies to aid affected communities, especially the coastal towns of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental,” Eastmincom said.

It noted that at least 16 schools, 543 houses, 38 buildings, and four bridges were either partially or damaged in the two provinces.

Some 13,401 families, comprising 61,791 individuals, with 14 reported injuries and three confirmed deaths were also recorded in the two provinces during the strong tremor, the command said.

Not letting guards down

"We assure everyone that we are on top of the situation. Although Marawi City is far from our area, we have alerted our troops to heighten their security operations to prevent possible spillover of terrorist atrocities in Eastern Mindanao,” Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, Eastmincom commander, was quoted as saying.

Government forces are not "letting its guards down" following the deadly bombing in Marawi City on Sunday, Almerol added.

He also urged the residents to promptly report any suspicious individuals or groups of people in their area to authorities.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1214849