PNP ensures safe Holy Week; inspects Metro Manila terminals, ports

Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia and National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo lead the inspection of provincial buses at the Araneta Central Terminal in Quezon City on April 5, 2023. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

MANILA, Philippines — Officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) inspected various terminals, seaports, and airports within Metro Manila on Wednesday to ensure public safety this Holy Week.

Aside from PNP, representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PGC), along with other concerned agencies, were present during the inspection of terminals, seaport, and airport in Quezon City, Manila, Pasay City, and Parañaque City.

PNP office-in-charge (OIC) Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan Okubo led the inspection of provincial buses, police assistance hubs and desks, and the CCTV control and monitoring room.

Among the terminals the police officials visited were Araneta Central Terminal; Five Star Terminal along EDSA; Manila North Port; DLTB Bus Terminal along Taft Avenue; Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3; and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange Terminal.

“Gusto namin iparating sa aming kababayan na ang [We would like to tell our fellow Filipinos that our] main strategy is more on the collaboration operation, coordination, and communication with all partner agencies, including the non-government organizations or our stakeholders,” Sermonia told reporters at Naia Terminal 3.

“Hindi lamang sa airports pati sa iba ibang places of convergence yung mga ports na pinuntahan natin kanina and terminals including churches kaya tayo pumunta kanina to ensure na properly implemented security plan and public safety,” he added.

(Not only at airports but also at various places of convergence, such as the ports we visited earlier and terminals, including churches. We inspected them to ensure a properly implemented security plan and public safety.)

In an earlier statement, PNP said it is ready to deploy almost 78,000 police personnel in commercial areas, transportation hubs, terminals, and places of worship to secure public safety this week and during summer break.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista announced that Naia is ready for the next week’s influx of approximately two million passengers.

Likewise, the San Miguel Corporation said it had increased its deployed manpower in South Luzon Expressway, Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, the Skyway System, Naia Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway to ensure efficient travel and safety of motorists.

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